Preparing For Ski Season Takes More Than Readying Equipment & Buying Lift Tickets
Sports orthopedist Dr. Kevin Plancher: Strength, flexibility, endurance training can prevent injury.
New York, NY/Greenwich, CT (PRWEB) January 28, 2008 -- As they prepare for the fun and excitement of their first day on the slopes this season, more than 28 million alpine skiers and snowboarders in the U.S. also know that they face numerous risks associated with these activities, which are considered among the most physically demanding of all sports. The good news is that many of these injuries can be prevented with a pre-season training program to add strength and flexibility to the muscles, tendons and ligaments used while skiing -- many of which are rarely, if ever, used during normal everyday activities.
"Skiing and snowboarding are becoming more and more popular, mainly because they offer an opportunity for outdoor activity during the cold winter months," notes Kevin Plancher, M.D., a leading NY-area orthopaedist and official surgeon of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Teams. "Adding to the risk of injury, especially among novices, is the fact that these sports tend to look easy to the average non-skier, and many people even believe that the soft, powdery snow will cushion their fall and help them avoid injury," Plancher adds.
This, of course, is not the case. In fact, Dr. Plancher notes, "For skiers and snowboarders alike, we are concerned both with the rate of injury, and with the changes in the types of injuries we are seeing from year to year." For example, while an increase in helmet use has resulted in fewer head injuries in recent years, and better equipment has all but eliminated instances of severe leg and ankle fractures, the overall bone injury rate among skiers has remained stable for the past ten years. As for snowboarders, injury rates more than doubled during that time. He adds that many of the changes in injury patterns reflect changes in the sports themselves, as younger participants begin to incorporate riskier freestyle moves into both sports. "The most common injuries now involve tendons, ligaments and muscles in the legs, knees, and even in the upper body, which -- when specifically trained for added strength and flexibility during skiing -- can withstand greater demands and range of motion without injury," he adds.
Pre-Season Ski & Snowboard Training 101
Dr. Plancher, who serves as Chairman the Orthopedic Foundation for Active Lifestyles (www.ofals.org) -- a non-profit organization dedicated to advancements in research and education for orthopedics and sports medicine - urges skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels to begin training now for the ski and snowboard season. He recommends concentrating on four key areas of conditioning:
1. Flexibility: "Increasing the flexibility of muscles and ligaments is the most important thing skiers and snowboarders can do to lessen the risk of injury," Dr. Plancher advises. That's because virtually every major joint in the body -- including ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, wrists and elbows -- are relied upon heavily during active skiing and snowboarding, as well as during a fall. "More flexibility can help skiers and boarders stay on their feet, but it can also help them land properly during a fall to reduce the chance of injury," he notes. Engaging in a 20-minute full body stretching routine daily -- after an aerobic activity that has warmed up the muscles -- can result in better flexibility within 6-8 weeks, Dr. Plancher says.
2. Strengthening: Strength is equally important in preventing ski injury, Dr. Plancher maintains. Here, the key is to strengthen muscles, tendons and ligaments that may not have even been used since last winter! For example, doing squats and rotations on a bosu ball -- a device with a large flat surface on top and a soft ball-shaped underside -- can give underused leg and knee muscles a stretching, strengthening workout. Dr. Plancher cautions everyone to avoid deep knee squats or leg extension exercises with weights.
3. Endurance: Overall physical fitness is important, as exhaustion or fatique may make skiiers and snowboarders more prone to injury. Up to an hour of daily aerobic exercise can increase cardiovascular endurance, lung capacity and overall fitness; choose walking, running, tennis or biking to strengthen leg muscles simultaneously.
4. Core Development: When well-developed, the structures that make up the body's core -- the spine and abdomen -- can improve power, strength, balance and coordination. "This aspect of pre-season training is often overlooked, but it can be one of the most important ones," Dr. Plancher reveals. "Few sports require such a well-developed sense of balance as skiing and snowboarding do," he adds. Dr. Plancher recommends yoga and pilates to help develop core strength and to increase mental focus -- also key to reducing the risk of ski and snowboard injury.
"There is no way of preventing all skiing and snowboarding injuries," Dr. Plancher admits. "However, preparation that starts now can have snow-sports enthusiasts well on their way to a safe and enjoyable ski and snowboard season this winter."
Bio: Kevin D. Plancher, M.D., M.S., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.O.S, is a leading orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine expert with extensive practice in knee, shoulder, elbow and hand injuries. Dr. Plancher is an Associate Clinical Professor in Orthopaedics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NY. He is on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Journal of Medicine and Sports.
A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Plancher received an M.S. in Physiology and an M.D. from their school of medicine (cum laude). He did his residency at Harvard's combined Orthopaedic program and a Fellowship at the Steadman-Hawkins clinic in Vail, Colorado where he studied shoulder and knee reconstruction. Dr. Plancher continued his relationship with the Clinic for the next six years as a Consultant. Dr. Plancher has been a team physician for over 15 athletic teams, including high school, college and national championship teams. Dr. Plancher is an attending physician at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City and The Stamford Hospital in Stamford, CT and has offices in Manhattan and Greenwich, Connecticut. www.plancherortho.com
Dr. Plancher lectures extensively domestically and internationally on issues related to Orthopaedic procedures and injury management. During 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 Dr. Plancher was named among the Top Doctors in the New York Metro area and was the New York State Representative for the Council of Delegates to the American Academy of Orthopaedic surgeons. For the past six years Dr. Plancher has received the Order of Merit (Magnum Cum Laude) for distinguished Philanthropy in the Advancement of Orthopaedic Surgery by the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. In 2001, he founded "The Orthopaedic Foundation for Active Lifestyles", a non-profit foundation focused on maintaining and enhancing the physical well-being of active individuals through the development and promotion of research and supporting technologies. www.ofals.org.
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