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Lifestyle

Now is time to start training for ski season

On the Mend
Joe DiVincenzo
Published: November 21, 2008

Winter is almost here and the ski season is just around the corner. With some of the best ski trails found here in New England, skiing is one of our most popular winter sports. Skiing, however, can be tough on the body. For those of you looking forward to those powder-covered hills, here are a few exercises that will help get you in shape.

Skiing places the body's joints under enormous pressure. When joints are subjected to high amounts of stress, the cartilage and ligaments that support the joint can be compromised and torn. In skiing, the muscles of the legs play a critical role in injury prevention.

One of the most commonly injured structures during the ski season is the meniscus of the knee. A meniscus is a C-shaped piece of cartilage that acts to absorb shock transmitted through the weight-bearing bones of the leg. At high speeds or if your knee strength is poor, the meniscus may sustain a sheering-type injury. A tear of this type will impair your ability to walk, bend your knee or find a comfortable position to sleep at night.

Most meniscal tears require surgery to heal properly. Meniscal tears also lead to early arthritis and are associated with long-term disability if left untreated. Prevention is still the best cure for a meniscal tear, so exercise your knee a few times before going out for the season.

Another common injury is damage to the ACL. The ACL prevents excessive sliding between the bones of the leg. ACL strains are extremely painful. They cause your knee to feel empty or hollow, and make routine tasks such as going up and down stairs nearly impossible.

Fortunately, ACL tears are easy to prevent. The large muscle group on the back of the thigh (the hamstrings) works directly with your ACL to minimize sliding of the leg bones. With just a few minutes of training each week, the hamstrings function to stabilize the knee three times better than if they weren't trained at all. Exercise them regularly and you are five times less likely to sustain an ACL injury when skiing.

Much of our balance comes from our ankles. Although our ankles are strapped into boots and bindings, the muscles that support the ankle joint never stop working. In fact, these muscles are so powerful they can control the balance of your body with a just a fraction of their maximum power.

Improving your ankles' stability and strength quickens your reaction time to bumps and divots on the ski slopes. Better ankle balance also minimizes the stress that passes through the knee and hip. A few sets of ankle exercises greatly reduces the likelihood of sprains and other leg injuries.

Strong buttocks and hips are also integral into avoiding injury, specifically to the lumbar spine. Without good hip stability, the discs of the back absorb the shocks of the ski slope. Discs themselves are weak and susceptible to injuries that include bulges, tears and herniations.

If you do not have any ankle, knee or hip problems, you should have no trouble performing these exercises two to three times per week. If you have pain in any of these areas consult a physical therapist before beginning an exercise program.

These exercises should be done every other day and should not take longer than five or 10 minutes to complete. A little prevention goes a long way. Start training today — you'll spend more time on the slopes and less time in the lodge.

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Joe DiVincenzo is a physical therapist and clinical specialist in manual therapy. He works in the outpatient division of Beverly Hospital and writes "On the Mend" weekly.¬ Questions may be submitted to On the Mend, c/o Salem News, 32 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA 01915 or e-mail features@eagletribune.com.

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