Skiing and snowboarding

Here we are, past Thanksgiving and our local weather forecasters are predicting a pretty good snow year for our mountains. Living in the Northwest gives us access to so many really great ski resorts within a five-hour drive. Many of you have already started thinking about getting your strength and conditioning firmed up so you can hit the slopes.

The important question is which tribe of downhill snow mastery do you prescribe to, skiing or snowboarding? This makes all the difference in the world for establishing a proper workout regimen.

Let’s look at the difference between skiing and snowboarding. Skiing tends to be a very technical sport that requires really good coordination, lower body muscular control and awareness. Snowboarding is harder to learn up front but with less equipment to contend with and with more full body control in play, it ultimately is easier to master.

Both snow sports involve repetitive motion that places stress on short bursts of energy and intense effort. Skiing tends to place less overall demand on your body as a whole and snow boarding is somewhat of a constant full-body workout. Having done both, I have to admit snowboarding certainly put my overall physical fitness to the test.

Both skiing and snowboarding require a strong core and lower body strength. Skiing targets your thighs, glutes and pelvic hip complex in such a way that if you have weakness in those areas you will fatigue quickly and expose yourself to knee and lower back injuries. Snowboarding on the other hand is all about full body strength with an emphasis on glutes, quads, calves and shins so you have plenty of strength to call up for the constant heel-toe motion to hold the board’s edge. Snowboarding puts a big demand on core both front and back so working your erector spinae, internal/external obliques and abdominal muscles is key to maintain the correct technique that is required for strong rotational control.

Both skiing and snowboarding are core dependent so developing a well-rounded core workout is key. Not only will a strong core give you better balance and ability to maneuver quickly, but it will give you a much easier time of getting upright and back on the run after a fall.

Skiing by far puts more demand on your knees since you are controlling two independent boards strapped to your feet. Almost 40 percent of all ski injuries involve the knee. The other area that should not be overlooked is your ankles, with sprains, stress on the Achilles tendon and peroneal tendon issues. Thank goodness for solid improvements in boot and binding design, which has lowered ankle injuries significantly. Still, you need to build leg, knee and ankle strength along with flexibility.

When it comes to snowboarding, knee injuries can still happen but are far less common. This is from the advantage of having both your feet attached to the same board surface. With less rotational force being placed on your knees, snowboarding still works your ankle and Achilles tendons pretty hard, especially when transitioning from front edge to back edge. Building solid leg and ankle strength can be as big of a benefit for snowboarders as it is for skiers.

Here are a few specific exercises to consider doing on a weekly regimen:

Skiing:

• Running, elliptical or stair climber

• Full core workout

• Back extensions

• Lateral box jumps

• Knee-to-chest raisers

• Leg press

• Leg extensions

Snowboarding:

• Jump rope, elliptical or stair climber

• Full core workout

• Back extensions

• Wall squats

• Hamstring curls

• Toe raises

• Leg press

• Leg extensions

For both skiing and snowboarding, incorporate flexibility into your workouts.

• Hamstring stretches

• Heel step-downs

• Achilles stretches

• Wall shin raises

• Quad stretches

Be sure to do stretching exercises daily to increase your flexibility and also stretch before and after every workout. The best stretches for skiers and boarders focus on the lower body and snowboarders need to also stretch the upper body. Although there is not as much focus on upper body strength training for boarding and skiing, it is a great idea to include upper back exercises such as rows or pull-ups and also add some sets of upper body exercises for the shoulders, chest, triceps and biceps to your exercise routine.

Start your season off on the right foot and be in better condition with more strength and agility to get the most from your day’s skiing.

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Judd Jones is a director for The Hagadone Corporation in Coeur d’Alene.