Winter is upon us and Kaixuan Liu, MD, PhD, founder and president of Atlantic Spine Center, offers some helpful advice on how to avoid ski-related back injuries, according to Benzinga.
Here are three facts and tips:
1. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, falls account for 75 percent to 85 percent of ski-related injuries, including those that affect the knee, shoulder, head and spine.
2. A skier should begin preparing with some conditioning about six weeks before they hit the slopes.
3. Some of the conditioning tips are as follows:
- Two to three sets of stretches on the hamstrings, quadriceps, hips, calves and trunk muscles. Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Improve the body's core strength by using dumbbells and resistance bands, as well as doing squats, lunges and leg presses.
- Running, hiking, rowing, biking, swimming and stair-climbing three to five times each week helps prepare the cardiovascular system for the exertion of downhill skiing.
- Practice hopping over a solid object from foot to foot while maintaining a balanced upper body. This helps emulate the side-to-side movements integral to skiing.