Nanaimo Chiropractor – Keep Skiing Injuries Away

Ski season is truly upon us. That means fresh air, lot of fun and exercise. Unfortunately for some, it also means injury. Many a chiropractor are kept busy during the winter months treating skiing injuries, including us at our Nanaimo chiropractic clinic, Pure Chiropractic. I would like to help you stay injury free this ski season. As such, here are 6 easy tips to keeping ski injuries away.

Six Tips to an Injury Free Ski Season:

  1. Professional Instruction. Don’t be cheap. Yes, a day at the slopes is expensive, but if you are new to skiing or it’s been a while don’t scrimp on the lessons. You’ve got a friend who’s a really good skier and promises to “show you the ropes?” Being good at something doesn’t mean you’re a good teacher. You need to know what you’re doing on the hill or you’re just asking for trouble.
  2. Know your limits. You’ve had your lessons and you know how to ski. Nothing can stop you! You’re friends are encouraging you to try the black diamond run, saying it’s “easy.” It’s best to know your limits.Tackling a run that’s above your ability is a god way to get in trouble.
  3. Warm up. Sounds basic, doesn’t it? Yet most people don’t do it. Cold muscle is less flexible. Make a quick turn and you can tear the muscle or it can pull on your joint. Wear appropriate clothing. Do some basic stretches before you head up and do a couple of easy runs before you tackle a more technical run.
  4. Core Stability. Skiing and boarding require a lot of torsional (twisting) movements to your body. This is not an action that most people do in the gym. Think about it. On all those cardio machines we keep our bodies straight. When lifting weights we keep our bodies straight. Then we head out to the hill and twist our bodies and wonder why our back hurts when we’re “in such great shape.” You need to do some core stability work before and during the ski season. Join a yoga class, a pilates class or one of your gym’s core stability classes. Find which one you enjoy the most and stick with it.
  5. Pay attention to fatigue. It’s a familiar story in our chiropractic clinic. You’ve been out all day having a blast and decide to go for one last run. That’s when the injury happens. As your muscles fatigue, they do their job poorly. Balance, agility and stability are affected. To remedy this, take regular breaks and keep hydrated /eat through the day. Be honest with yourself, when you’re tired you should be done for the day.
  6. Chiropractic. You didn’t expect a chiropractor to not write about chiropractic, did you? Chiropractic is not only a big part of injury treatment, it can also be an important part of injury prevention. Lack of joint mobility puts the body at risk of injury. Before you head out to the slopes, head into your chiropractor’s office. If you’d like to see us at Pure Chiropractic, Nanaimo call 250-585-8866.

Hope you’ve found this blog post helpful. Leave a comment below and give your tip on preventing injury on the ski hill.

Kind Regards,
Dr. Jason Hare, Chiropractor
Pure Chiropractic, Nanaimo
1-5144 Metral Drive Nanaimo
250-585-8866

Photo Credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Outdoor_Sports__Land_g220-Ski_p11773.html

8 Responses to “Nanaimo Chiropractor – Keep Skiing Injuries Away”

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    Regular chiropractic care can help you run longer and more efficiently by addressing musculoskeletal, and nutritional issues prior to the onset of injury.

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