Fitness Tips for Skiers and Snowboarders

Some simple daily exercises and on-slope tips especially for those of us 55+ can prevent aches, pains and worse during snow season.

Here are some work-out suggestions and more to help you get fit now and stay fit and injury-free during the season.

Group of skiers at Chamonix, with Mont Blanc in the distance. Evelyn Kanter photographer (C) Copyright all rights reserved — (C) Copyright Photo by ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter, skiing at Chamonix, with Mont Blanc in the distance

Scaling Down

Did you overdue the pina coladas on the beach this summer, and holiday celebratiions, and your belt is now one extra notch?

According to the experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine, maintaining a healthy weight helps lower your blood pressure and decreases your risk of heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.

All good. Specifically they recommend –

Muscular strength declines with age, so strength training is key for maintaining strength and preventing muscle atrophy at 50-plus. Strength training also has been shown to help with bone density, helping reduce the risk of fractures later in life.

Working out with partner, whether that is a friend, significant other or spouse encourages you to exercise more regularly and longer because you have that person to coax you.

As our bodies age, our tendons get thicker and less elastic. Stretching can counter this and help prevent injury at 50-plus. Remember to stretch slowly – never force it by bouncing.

Legs, Lungs and Balance

Simply standing on one leg for 30-60 seconds at a time can dramatically improve your balance. This is critical for navigating uneven terrain and catching an edge before it becomes a fall.

Leg swings, arm circles, torso twists, and a few body-weight squats will increase blood flow, raise your core temperature, and prime your muscles and nervous system for action.

The advice from REI is to focus on the muscles you use most – quads, hamstrings and glutes – along with cardio, so you aren’t out of break poling across a flat area or hiking uphill in your boots to lift access. It will also help your balance, so necessary whether it’s a slow turn or quick stop.

REI has full details of exercises such as walking lunges, squats, reverse squats and side lunges on its website, with short how-to videos of each.

The recommendation is to exercise at least 2-3 times a week, starting at least six weeks before ski/snowboard season – which means start today, if you haven’t already started.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Drink water consistently throughout the day, especially at high altitudes, since dehydration leads to premature muscle fatigue, which significantly increases your risk of injury.

You should be drinking more water at altitude than you do at sea level. And remember that at altitude, alcohol delivers a bigger wallop, so drink less

Wrap It Up

Baltimore-based physical therapist Joshua Key recommends preventive taping before heading out, to prevent on-slope problems.

“A 55-year-old who tapes strategically and plans for recovery often outlasts a 30-year-old who just shows up and hopes for the best,” he says.

Key recommends using stretch tape to provide compression support on fingers and thumbs, which helps maintain circulation, provide extra grip security, and help keep those digits warm.

“One 60-year-old ice climber I worked with taped his fingers this way and said it was the difference between completing routes and having to bail early due to hand fatigue,” he told me via email.

Key also suggests stashing a cooling wrap in your day-bag for knees or shoulders, to use in the lodge for an hour or of cooling relief while still booted up, perhaps during a lunch break. It could help you keep moving between runs instead of calling it quits early.

Apres Ski

According to chiropractor and skier Dr. Jerry Hsieh, apres ski recovery is essential for reducing soreness and preparing for your next day of adventure.

After your last run, take a few minutes for gentle, static stretching, focusing on your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes.

Follow this with a nutritious meal or snack containing protein to help your muscles repair themselves.

If you start to feel specific aches or pains (particularly in the knees, hips, or back), don’t simply ignore them.

Applying ice to a sore joint can reduce inflammation, and seeking a professional evaluation from a physical therapist or chiropractor can address a minor issue before it becomes a season-ending problem.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is an award-winning journalist with 25+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.