5 “must dos” to prepare for your ski trip

If you love skiing like I do, or are trying it for the first time, you’ll want to do some preparations to maximize your experience and minimize your risk of injury. Skiing is a physically challenging sport – different from anything you do in everyday life. Here are 5 ways to help you prepare your body for your upcoming ski trip.

 

Tip #1: Skiing requires strength, especially through your core, hips, and legs. Start with these 5 great strength exercises: hip hinges, step-ups, lat band walk, planks, and clams. For more advanced strengthening, add these exercises: 4-way band resistance, squats, and deadlifts.

 

 

Tip #2: In addition to strength, skiing requires good balance and mobility. Try these exercises to help build your stability: single leg stance, hip flexor stretches, calf stretches, adductor stretches, and a lunge with rotation.

 

Tip #3: Skiing requires cardiovascular endurance, especially with the higher altitudes. Get your aerobic capacity up to speed by:

Walking, running, or doing another aerobic exercise to get your heart rate up to 70% of your max effort for 20-30 minutes at least 3 times per week.

 

Tip #4: Skiing requires specific skills and techniques. Here’s a great website for ski tips, whether beginner or advanced:

 

Tip 5: Finally, finish your preparation by scheduling lessons on the mountain. Call the resort to book ahead of time. You will be glad you did.

Skiing is an awesome sport. Don’t let your conditioning level leave you behind. Call us today to have our BRIO team help you get ready. Ann or Paige, our front desk extraordinaries, can help book an evaluation TODAY – 504.841.0150.

Prevent Running Injuries With Kinesiology Tape

During the Rock N Roll Marathon & 1/2 Marathon Expo, Baudry Therapy Center had the opportunity to work with the Spider Tech team in demonstrating kinesiotaping taping techniques. We saw runners of all shapes and sizes completing their final preparation for the marathon.  For these runners, the anticipation of the race was palpable. Runners came out in droves for last minute advice on race preparation.

Kinesiology tape can have the following benefits for distance runners:

  • it provides structural support to the muscles and joints,
  • it provides neurological support to improve muscle firing, and
  • it improves local circulation to reduce inflammation and muscle fatigue.

There are several brands of kinesiology tape, all with similar properties.

To find out if kinesiology tape could help you, call or stop by our office.

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Image via Flickr: hojusaram