It is hard to prepare for mountain conditions. Contrary to popular British belief, it doesn’t get especially cold in England and it is rather flat, so even cycling up Hertfordshire Hills to replicate altitude training. You can however make a huge difference to your performance on the slopes and reduce your risk of injury by mixing up your training and making it a little more specific to skiing.

So how can you prepare for the season ahead?

1. Get Mobile

The complexity of skiing requires good joint range of movement. Unfortunately sitting on the tube or at your desk makes these key areas stiff. A lack of hip, mid-back and ankle mobility can put more stress on other mobile areas like the knee, increasing your risk of injury. Get mobile with these key exercises:

• Thoracic mobility (rotation and extension)

• Dynamic warm up

• Ankle mobility

• Foam rolling

(see our Instagram or Facebook accounts @bh_beyondhealth for a demo of just how these should be done)

2. Say ‘Hello’ to your Quads

Skiing requires constant static and slow dynamic quadriceps contractions illustrated by the ‘thigh burn’ mid-run. Conditioning your quads with the following exercises will increase the muscles capacity of tolerate the change from desk to mountain.

• Adductor sliders

• Scooter

• Bulgarian split squat

• Heel elevated squat

• Box jumps

(as for the mobility exercises follow us on Instagram or Facebook to understand exactly how these exercises should be performed)

3. Push The Tempo

The average downhill skier will spend 65-70% utilising aerobic metabolism (lower-intensity exercise) with the rest being anaerobic-a higher intensity of work primarily up to 60 seconds. Tailoring your cardiovascular training (like cycling, rowing and running) to replicate this and incorporating both high and low intensity exercise in a session will enable you to stay longer on the mountain to have fun.

At MVMNT Physiotherapy we specialise in understanding all the variables needed to perform at a high level in any sports. Despite a passion for quality rehabilitation, the MVMNT team would prefer to prevent your injuries and see you shine on the slopes!

(Beyond Health, 2023)

If you have any questions on whether physio is the best option for you, or you have any questions about MVMNT in general, feel free to contact via email.

- Jay Towolawi, Specialist Sports Physiotherapist and MVMNT Founder.