Optimize Your Ski Season with Chiropractic

By Dr. Molly Casey

If you’re alive in western society today, you know what it means to be crunched for time. This means many things you value can get lost in the shuffle and you don’t engage actively. Two common things that get pushed to the backburner are exercise and fun. I encourage patients to combine the two whenever possible -- and one of the great examples this time of year is skiing.

Skiing Works

Skiing will place heavy physical demands on your body -- especially the spine -- so it’s important to not jump full-bore onto the slopes when your schedule has limited the amount of exercise you’ve been getting. If your exercise has been limited, or if you are simply looking to give yourself extra support from the common skier wear-and-tear, you can do the following things to keep you a bit safer and improve your time on the slopes.

Get Strong: The stronger you are prior to hitting the slopes, the safer you’ll be with regard to decreasing the chances of injury and muscle soreness in the following days. Lower body exercises such as squats, lunges and glute bridges are helpful in keeping your legs ready for the workout. Most know what squats and lunges are; for a tutorial on glute bridges, click here.

Be Flexible: Flexibility is important, but it’s not necessary to do a long stretch before you start. It’s cold out. Use the first run as a gentle warm-up. Go slow. Go easy. Go green (those are the easiest runs for those of you who aren’t avid skiers). After you get that first run in, do a solid stretch session -- and then hit the slopes the way you want.

Stay Warm: Keep the muscles warm and the circulation active. If you stop to take breaks, do a few body weight squats and lunges, and even five minutes of stretching, before you resume riding the mountain. The breaks you take inside for a hot chocolate or lunch cause the muscles to cool down, so you need to start that warm-up process over again.

Chiropractic and Your Ride

Chiropractic works with the spine and your nervous system. The mobility of your spine can encourage or interfere with the ability of your nervous system to function optimally. All the muscles and joints you need to move properly while skiing (or doing anything) are a result of how well your nervous system is functioning. If you have a subluxation and your spinal joints are misaligned or restricted, then your nervous system can be inhibited. Your performance on the slope will definitely not be what it potentially could be and you’ll be more prone to injury.

Let your chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic help you prepare for all the fun and exercise you’re incorporating into your schedule. Getting a chiropractic adjustment can set you up for improved performance and a decrease in the risk of an injury that ends your ski season. Get out there this season, have fun, and take a deep breath of fresh mountain air for me on your next ride.