For those people who tend to go skiing around this time of year, thoughts are normally on the excitement of the holiday rather than potential injuries, however with such a sport involving high speed amongst a high concentration of people injuries do occur, but with some preparation the risk of injury can be minimised.
Of course severe injuries such as a fracture or ruptured ligaments will occur regardless of how fit you are, but lesser injuries such as tendonitis, bursits or cramp can be minimised.
The main posture of skiing and snowboarding is a semi-squat position which places stress on the knee-cap and strain on the thighs and Achilles tendon. The appropriate preparation exercise which you can do at home is squatting, with or without weights, daily, 10 repetitions by 3 sets, for 1-2 weeks prior to your holiday.
The most repetitive action of skiing and snowboarding is trunk rotation - abdominal activity. Simple abdominal crunches can prepare this area, the regimen being the same as for squats.
General fitness will also be important, since as fatigue increases so concentration levels drop, thus increasing the potential for mishap.
If you do suffer a more severe injury as described above, be sure to report to your physiotherapist on your return home so that you can get full appreciation of the nature of your injury and have the best chance of hitting the slopes again next season.
