Ski injury prevention for Colorado skiers begins before the first lift
Ski injury prevention starts four to six weeks before your first ski day, with strength and balance training for both legs, bindings adjusted to your height, weight and ability, and a helmet. The knee is the most injured joint in skiing, at about 30% of all ski injuries, which is why conditioning starts with the legs.
Your first day on snow is a few weeks away, and your legs have not done anything like skiing since last season. The first run will ask them to hold a deep stance, absorb uneven snow and stop quickly. What should you do between now and then to get your knees, shoulders and wrists ready, and when should you start?
Key takeaways about ski injury prevention
- Ski conditioning should start four to six weeks before the first ski day and build leg strength, core strength, balance and cardio together
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury prevention for skiers should include single-leg balance work on both legs, since a study of young competitive skiers found fewer ACL injuries after a program that trained both legs equally
- Ski injury prevention also means bindings adjusted to your height, weight and ability, boots that fit well and a helmet
- A slow first day on snow with warm-up runs, water and a lesson for new skiers can lower the chance of a ski injury
- Prompt care after a ski injury matters, and Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies (OCR) sports medicine physicians see skiers at six Northern Colorado locations
How long before ski season should you start conditioning?
Start conditioning four to six weeks before your first ski day. That gives your strength, balance and stamina time to build before they are tested. Skiing asks a lot of the legs for hours at a time, which is why pre-season ski training belongs in the plan. If your first ski day is closer than that, start now and build up gradually.
Check with a doctor before you start if you have had a knee, shoulder or back injury or have been inactive for a while. A sports medicine physician can review your injury history and talk through a conditioning plan that fits it.
Ski conditioning builds strength, balance and endurance together
Ski conditioning builds the leg and core strength that controls your knees and the cardio fitness that keeps you steady through a full day on snow.
| Focus | What it does for your skiing |
|---|---|
| Quads and hamstrings | Squats, lunges and wall sits build the muscles that help control your knees as you turn and slow down. |
| Glutes | Lunges in several directions work the glutes, which help keep your knees lined up over your feet. |
| Core | Planks and rotational exercises build a stable core that keeps you centered over your skis. |
| Calves and ankles | Calf raises and balance drills strengthen the muscles that steady you on uneven snow. |
| Cardio | Steady cardio work gives you the stamina to keep good form late in the day. |
How can skiers prevent ACL injuries?
Skiers may lower their risk of ACL injury with strength and balance training that works both legs equally. A fall that catches a ski can twist either knee, so each leg needs to hold steady on its own.
In a study of Swedish ski high school students, ACL injuries occurred in 3.9% of skiers after a prevention program that trained both legs to perform equally well, compared with 8.1% in earlier seasons without it. The skiers were young competitors and the comparison used earlier seasons, so recreational skiers may not see the same drop.
A systematic review of eight randomized trials found that ACL injury prevention programs built around plyometric (jumping and landing), strengthening and agility exercises cut ACL injury rates by 53% in athletes. Single-leg squats and other one-legged balance drills are common starting points.
Bindings, boots and a helmet need a check before the first run
Have a ski shop adjust your bindings to your current height, weight and skiing ability, confirm that your boots fit well and wear a helmet.
Bindings control when a ski releases in a fall, so they are worth checking every season, especially if your weight or skill level has changed. Boots that fit well can help hold your foot and ankle steady, so test the fit before the season starts.
A meta-analysis of 12 studies in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that helmets reduce the risk of head injury among skiers and snowboarders by about 35%, with no sign of a higher risk of neck injury.
Easing into your first days on snow lowers your chance of injury
Start with a few easy warm-up runs, drink water before, during and after skiing, and take a lesson if you are new to the sport or returning after years away. Easy terrain before steeper runs gives your body time to warm up. Lessons teach you how to fall and stop safely, and choosing runs that match your experience keeps your speed manageable.
Skip the last run when your legs feel done, and avoid pushing past your current fitness or skill level. More on-mountain habits, including how to fall, are covered in this guide to ski injury prevention tips.
What are the most common ski injuries?
The most common ski injuries affect the knee, shoulder, thumb and head, and fractures around the shoulder and lower leg are also common.
The knee is the most frequently injured joint, and almost all skiers with a knee injury that requires hospitalization are diagnosed with an ACL tear. Sprains of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and tears of the meniscus, the cartilage that cushions the knee, also occur. Treatment for these injuries comes from knee specialists, and this guide to ACL tear treatment in Colorado explains the options.
Skiers often reach out to break a fall, which can dislocate or sprain the shoulder, and a fall on an outstretched hand while holding a pole can cause skier’s thumb, a ligament injury at the base of the thumb. Shoulder specialists treat shoulder injuries.
Head injuries are less common but can be serious, so anyone who hits their head in a fall should be checked for a concussion.
When should you see a doctor after a ski injury?
See a doctor promptly after a ski injury if a joint feels unstable, you cannot put weight on a limb, swelling or deformity appears, pain stays severe with rest or you lose feeling or movement.
Head injury symptoms such as confusion, nausea or dizziness call for emergency care. For fractures, sprains and other bone and joint injuries that are not emergencies, Orthopaedic Urgent Care in Longmont offers evening walk-in visits with no appointment needed, staffed by orthopedic specialists.
Where to find sports medicine care for ski injuries in Northern Colorado
OCR sports medicine physicians help skiers with ski injury prevention before the season and with injury care during it. The team includes orthopedic surgeons and non-surgical sports medicine physicians and works with physical therapists and athletic trainers, so care can match the injury.
OCR sees patients in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Longmont, Westminster and Lafayette, and operates Orthopaedic Urgent Care in Longmont.
Orthopedic surgeons on the sports medicine team include Dr. William Cooney, Dr. Sean Grey, Dr. Ryan Hartman, Dr. Matthew Javernick, Dr. Curtis Leonard, Dr. Lucas Schnell, Dr. Nirav Shah, Dr. Joshua Snyder, Dr. Rocci Trumper and Dr. Peter Wood.
Non-surgical sports medicine physicians include Dr. Thomas Anderson, Dr. Jeffrey Ebel, Dr. Brian Lancaster, Dr. Rick Morgan, Dr. Tammy Ng, Dr. Vincent Ross, Dr. Domonic Torri and Dr. Niki Vischer.
To reach an OCR sports medicine physician at any of the six locations, request an appointment online.