Snow sports, such as skiing and snowboarding, can be exhilarating but can also lead to severe injuries if you are not properly prepared for these activities. Common injuries from snow sports may include knee injuries (i.e. ACL and MCL strains and ruptures), shoulder injuries (i.e. dislocations, rotator cuff tears), and head injuries (i.e. concussions, whiplash). Many people can experience soreness and aches in their lower backs, necks, hips/pelvis, calves, and feet from simply withstanding the physical demands these sports place on the body.
Skiing and snowboarding require some level of cardiovascular fitness, strength, stability, and coordination; however, you do not necessarily need to train like a professional athlete. You can benefit from some form of strength and endurance training as long as they focus on core, quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Watch the video below to see some strength and stability exercises we recommend for snow sports training:
Core Strength/Stability Exercises for Snow Sports:
Written by Kimberly Le, PT, DPT
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