Tips For Training For Ski Season

With back-to-school just around the corner and summer coming to a close, here in the Pacific Northwest it’s time to start thinking about training for the upcoming ski season. As my inbox is flooded with emails about discounts on season passes and lodging at the local ski resorts, I cannot help but feel inspired to prepare for those long days in the backcountry or skiing laps on powder days inbounds. But what are some of the more important areas to focus on when building a ski conditioning program? While skiing can be a lifelong sport, it also carries with it high physical demands and risk of injury. Therefore, as with most sports-specific training programs, the key is including exercises that promote both injury prevention and performance enhancement. When it comes to skiing, exercises that improve strength, stability, and mobility are paramount. Here are a few examples:

• A retro floating lunge improves functional gluteal and quadriceps strength, while also promoting improved stability at the hip and knee joints, two prominent areas that can frequently be injured when skiing.

• Band-resisted side-stepping strengthens the gluteus medius, a muscle integral in controlling excessive rotation at the knee joint. Training this muscle is important in reducing the risk of ACL tears, an unfortunately common injury among skiers.

• Ankle dorsiflexion lunges help increase mobility at the ankle joint, allowing you sufficient range of motion to avoid back seat skiing.

• Lateral bounding facilitates improved stability at the hip and knee joints, while also strengthening the gluteals and quadriceps, helping you better hold your edge on more challenging terrain.

As with any training program, a slow and systematic progression is key to avoiding overuse injuries. Performing strengthening exercises such as these 2-3 days per week is enough to make improvements and more is not always better. Your program should be at least 8 weeks in length in order to provide adequate time for adaptive changes to take place to your musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. It takes time and consistency to make your muscles stronger and your joints more mobile! Finally, seek clearance from your physical therapist or primary care provider before initiating any new exercise program and stop if you find yourself limited by unrelenting aches and pains.

Fingers crossed for a big snow year. Hope to see you out there!

-Grant Hennington, DPT

Promoting Improved Shoulder Health In Rock Climbers

Climbing season here in the Pacific Northwest is upon us and with that, more often than not, comes nagging climbing injuries. While traumatic injuries can occur from unexpected falls or hazardous rockfall, the majority of climbing injuries are related to overuse, with the shoulder joint being a common culprit. Common climbing injuries involving the shoulder include shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tendinopathy, rotator cuff tears, and labral tears. But can anything be done to prevent climbing injuries resulting from overuse? The short answer is yes, with a combination of strength, stability, and mobility exercises being ideal for reducing your risk of injury. Here are 5 therapeutic exercises to try:

1. The band-resisted wall crawl exercise helps to strengthen the rotator cuff, a group of muscles that help to stabilize the shoulder joint during overhead activity. Perform 3 sets of 5-10 repetitions every other day of the week.

2. The bird dog exercise helps to build stability of the shoulder joint complex, while also isometrically strengthening the rotator cuff, helping you better perform moves involving mantling. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions every other day of the week.

3. The open book exercise helps to increase the mobility of the thoracic spine while also improving the flexibility of the pectoral muscles, helping to create a more efficient overhead reach. Perform 1 set of 10 repetitions each direction, up to 7 days per week.

4. The chest opener stretch, performed on a foam roll, helps improve posture by stretching out the pectoral muscles, which are chronically tight in rock climbers. Perform 1 set of a 3 minute hold, up to 7 days per week.

5. Thoracic spine mobilization over a foam roll is a great way to improve thoracic extension, helping with more efficient overhead reach in climbers. Perform 1 set of 60 seconds, up to 7 days per week.

With any and all of these exercises, the motion should be gentle and pain-free. Fight the temptation to do more than recommended, as you will not get better twice as fast if you do twice as many repetitions, sets, and/or days per week. It should be noted that not only will these exercises help reduce your risk of injury, but they will also give you a bump in performance, allowing you to climb more challenging routes for longer periods of time. The exercises should be performed for a minimum of 8 weeks in order to experience significant changes in strength, stability, and mobility. Climb on!

-Grant Hennington, DPT