After Ski Season Has Ended, Do Not Stop Stretching & Conditioning
After Ski Season Has Ended, Do Not Stop Stretching & Conditioning
Many of my clients are skiers/snowboarders who have had a very active season due to our incredible winter. But now, with skiing/snowboarding season over, these same clients are experiencing stiffness and tightness in their backs, hips and legs. The reason for this is because of the complex genetic engineering that goes into the makeup of the lower body. The knee, for example, has an extremely large threshold for impact absorption that allows people to run and jump at unprecedented levels of competition despite moving in a simple hinge motion. However simple the motion, the amount of muscles used to perform the hinge itself is actually quite drastic. If these muscles - like the quadriceps and the calves - are underused or have weak function, there will be drastic increase of injury, and therefore decrease in performance. In order to aid the knee in performance, we move these muscles through their normal range of motion and try to increase the degree of range each time. By stretching and progressing the musculature around the knee, we help promote proper movement and elasticity - from the largest movement contributors to the smallest.
By stretching muscles around the knees and hips like the IT band, the adductors, the quads, and hip flexors, that tension can be lessened and prevented. Stretching can also help you recover from inefficient movement patterns either on the hill or off of it.
While the tendency is to focus solely on the lower body, it should be stressed that the upper body should not be overlooked. Your upper body is impacted from the twisting of your torso while changing direction, planting your poles to create momentum, and bracing when falling. Your shoulder protocol should focus on stretching the shoulder and its many attachments like the triceps, biceps, pectoral muscles, deltoids, and rotator cuffs – moving them through full range of motion.
So whether you are preparing for ski season or recovering from ski season, stretching should be an important part of your daily routine.
Kim Duke is a certified personal trainer and owner of Core Performance Fitness and Training located at 55 Bristol Lane, Ellicottville, NY. Kim resides in Ellicottville where she raised her two sons, Zach and Nik. For more information about her studio visit her Facebook page or www.coreperformancefitness.com. Kim can be reached at 716-698-1198.
