Well they say that winter comes when it will & it looks like ours has now arrived. My hope is to keep you away from injuries so that you can get the most out of your love for skiing all the while protecting your body.


Here are a few ways to help reduce your risk of injury out on the hill.


Remember cold muscles tense up. A tense body is more likely to get injured. Taking the time to warm up your body before hitting the slopes will pay you back in spades. Think dynamic stretches beside the car here. Walking lunges. Body weight squats. Swinging your arms and legs.


At the other end of the day - before swapping stories over a pint - make sure you take a few minutes to stretch. This apres ski practice will give you an accumulative benefit over time for your well worked muscles. Static stretching is most beneficial here. Think quad stretches where you hold your ankle & bend your knee. Hold for 30 seconds.


To gain even more benefit - incorporate stretching into your daily routine. Your muscles will gain strength and flexibility. A healthy yoga practice can keep your joints supple, muscles flexible and posture stable. A more medical way of looking at balance training is fine tuning your proprioceptors - sensory receptors that tell you where you are in space. Tuning up your receptors will help you adjust faster to get you out of positions where an injury is more likely to occur.


Check your gear. Concussion and whiplash injuries are all too common on the hill. If it's been awhile - more than 5 years - or your helmet has seen a few trees in its day - time to get a new one. Helmets can reduce the severity of a head injury.


It's never too late to do conditioning. Stressing your body in controlled exercises will help your tissue to adapt & withstand the impact of skiing. Focus on the major muscle groups you'll use while skiing. Squats. Lunges. Deadlifts.


Adding some plyometric training & single leg exercises will mimic what your body goes through out on the hill. Jumping. Single leg squats. Balance exercises. Training your body to handle quick movements with ease.


Remember to take breaks. And not just the ones on the chairlift. Grab a snack to refuel your energy. Stay hydrated. It is all too easy to get dehydrated - our body uses up water to keep us warm. Be mindful of your energy levels - we all too often see injuries in the infirmary from that infamous "last run".


We all know there is a risk of injury when we ski. We can drop this risk by setting out right at the top and bottom of the day, checking our gear, mimicking what our body goes through in a ski day in the gym, being mindful of refueling with food and drinks throughout and knowing when to call it a day.


For advice tailored to you or to help you fully recover from last season's injuries -



please reach out and book a discovery call.


My goal is to keep your joints younger as you get older.