Dr. Stessie Zimmerman is a sports medicine physician at Intermountain Health
(PRUnderground) February 13th, 2025
Skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports are full swing with fresh snow, but is your body ready? Winter activities can be fun, but it can also take a toll on muscles and joints. Intermountain Health Sports Medicine experts say the right conditioning routine can keep both skiers and boarders on the hill and out of the emergency room.
“The demands of winter sports like skiing and snowboarding are different from those of summer sports, such as running, cycling, and golfing,” said Stessie Zimmerman, MD, sports medicine physician at Intermountain Health. “One way to avoid injury is to ease into the season and doing exercises to get your body ready.”
Although many people have already started hitting the slopes, Dr. Zimmerman notes it’s not too late to get your body in shape and take steps to protect yourself.
People can consult an athletic trainer or physical therapist to find out if they have strength deficits or other movement issues which could make them prone to injuries during winter sports. This type of consultation is also important for those who may still be recovering from an injury.
Whether you are a seasoned skier/snowboarder or new to the sport, a pre-season conditioning routine can help you gain more confidence, strength, agility, and balance through key exercises for specific muscle groups:
- Quads– Skiers feel their quad muscles with every turn they carve. Rebuilding these muscles prior to a heavy snowfall, can lead to fewer injuries.
- Hamstrings – Strong hamstrings are equally important to having a safe day on the hill. Hamstring strength helps protect your ACL and counterbalance those quads.
- Abdominal muscles – A good strong core absorbs bumps, preventing an injury to the lower back, and helps maintain a good ski position.
- Hip Strength – Having strong hip muscles can help with the balancing of skiing and snowboarding. They play a vital role being able to adjust on the slopes.
Even for younger skiers it’s important to add this type of conditioning and cross training to a workout regimen. Doing only one type of workout, or sport for too long can cause an imbalance in muscle strength that can lead to sprains, strains and overuse injuries.
Although people are excited to enjoy the fresh powder, Dr. Zimmerman says people should take it easy the first couple of runs.
“If you’re only now getting on the slopes do some easy and familiar runs and just get the feel back for turning shock and shock absorption,” said Dr. Zimmerman. “We’re all excited to do the big runs but doing them before your body is ready can lead to some bad injuries.
Skiing and boarding require a full-body commitment, certain exercise routines will help establish healthy conditioning habits with hopes of preventing injury.
Avoiding ACL Injuries
Along with being physically fit for winter sports experts say an important part of avoiding injuries is making sure you’re wearing the proper gear and it’s working correctly. Dr. Zimmerman says bindings should release properly and if they don’t it can make you more susceptible to severe leg injuries like a torn ACL.
“If you’re binding doesn’t release properly it can twist your leg and tear an ACL, but even worse it can lead to bone fractures or tears in the calf muscles,” said Dr. Zimmerman.
He also notes that helmets should be worn by everyone because head trauma on the slopes can be severe.
If someone is snowboarding, then wrist guards might be needed because people often put their arms out to catch themselves from a fall.
Typical ski and snowboard conditioning exercises
Squats, lunges, jumping lunges, retro lunges, wall sits, deadlifts, hops, single and double leg, weighted step ups, box jumps, lateral hops and core exercises like plank walk outs, are examples of exercises for strength and agility training.
Balance and single leg exercises are also beneficial for skiers because they strengthen the muscles used most in the snow.
To prepare for the slopes, it’s recommended to exercise at least three times per week and include 30-45 minutes of strength and agility training exercises, such as those listed above, plus 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise.
For more information about the sports science and sports medicine services available for everyday athletes, click here.
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a not-for-profit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.
The post Tips to Avoid Injuries During Winter Sports Season from Intermountain Health Sports Medicine Experts first appeared on
Original Press Release.
