Skiers and snowboarders love the Colorado mountains for many reasons. Be it the groomed trails or steep powder bowls, there truly is something for everyone. But with each season comes the risk of injury, and many of us at orthopedic clinics see an uptick of cases when it comes time for winter sports. Thankfully, many common injuries associated with skiing and snowboarding are preventable. With adequate preparation and better choices, you can minimize your risk to help keep you on the mountain all season long. Let’s run through our guide on how to keep your risk low.
The Root Cause of Injuries
To understand how to prevent injuries, we first need to understand how they happen. These reasons differ a bit between skiing and snowboarding. With snowboarding, injuries tend to involve the knees, specifically sprains and tears of the ACL and MCL. Someone catches an edge and twists their leg
Someone falls backwards but their skis stay fixed
Bindings don’t release while experiencing a rotational fall
Snowboarding injuries, on the other hand, tend to deal with the upper body. For example with:
Sprains and fractures in the wrist from breaking a fall
Dislocating a shoulder when falling
Collarbone fractures due to direct impact
How to Prevent Injury
Use a warm-up routine
While you may be eager to hit the slopes right away, stiff joints and cold muscles are a recipe for disaster. Taking just eight to 12 minutes to get in some dynamic movement before skiing or snowboarding can make all the difference. Some ideas include:
Walking lunges
Leg swings
Arm circles
Shoulder rolls
Light jogging
Squats
Glute bridges
Doing a couple of these exercises will get your blood flowing while also managing joint control and stabilizing the muscles.
Implement strength exercises
Your workout routine off the slopes can also be an integral part to preventing injury. Our joints are more stable when we have more muscle strength and neuromuscular control. Thus, you’ll want to focus on protective exercises that engage the hips, core, and balance.
Consider adding things like Romanian deadlifts, split squats, planks, single-leg balance drills, and step-downs into your workout. For snowboarders specifically, implement anything that can strengthen your wrists and forearms.
Choose the right gear
Protective sports gear is essential to managing your risk on the mountain, and it can truly be a make or break when it comes to injuries. Everyone should wear a helmet and well-fitted boots and bindings, but an individual’s specific circumstances may warrant wrist guards, knee braces, or padded shorts.
Additionally, the fit of your ski bindings should be perfect, taking into account your height, weight, skill, and boot size. If your bindings are too tight, your risk of ligament injury increases. However, if they’re too loose, your risk of fall becomes much greater.
Seeing an Orthopedic Specialist
If you have experienced an injury while skiing or snowboarding, it’s time to seek consultation from an orthopedist. At Orthopedic Centers of Colorado, Dr. Imran Choudhry focuses on upper extremity/hand care from the shoulder to fingertips, especially following ski or ride injuries. Additionally, Dr. Brian J. Larkin would be a great choice for anyone seeking care for hip or knee injuries, with extensive experience in joint replacement and lower extremity fracture care.
