6 Tips to Prevent Knee Injuries this Ski Season

Winter is here, and that means Coloradans will be heading to the mountains each weekend to enjoy the many world-class ski resorts throughout the state. While skiing is an exhilarating sport that allows you to enjoy the outdoors throughout the cold winter months, it doesn’t come without risk. Ski injuries are common, and many of these injuries impact the knee.

The unfortunate reality is that anyone, regardless of ability, can suffer a knee injury while skiing. However, there are some individuals who are at higher risk of sustaining a knee injury on the slopes:

• Beginner skiers
• Individuals with minimal core strength
• People with a history of knee injuries
• Overweight individuals

While you can never completely eliminate the risk of a knee injury while skiing, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of suffering these devastating injuries on the slopes this winter.

Strengthen Your Muscles

One of the best ways to avoid a knee injury on the slopes is to strengthen your muscles. While the muscles around the knee are the most critical ones to strengthen if you’re specifically looking to avoid a knee injury, a workout routine that focuses on total body strength and fitness is important. The better shape you’re in, the less likely you are to suffer a serious ski injury.

While the ideal time to begin this strengthening regimen is early in the fall so that you’re in great shape when ski season begins, it’s never too late to start working out those ski muscles. Even if you got an early start on your ski fitness workouts, it’s important to continue strengthening these muscles throughout the season. When you have strong quad, hamstring and calf muscles, it will take a great deal of pressure off your knee ligaments.

The following exercises will help ensure your legs are strong and reduce the risk of a knee injury while skiing:

• Squats
• Lunges
• Straight leg raises
• Hamstring curls
• Leg presses
• Calf raises

In addition, your workout routine should include exercises that will help you maintain a strong core and improve your balance and flexibility. Your core workout should include sit-ups, crunches and planks. Balance and stability can be improved with single-leg exercises and balance board work. Attending a yoga class once or twice a week will help improve your flexibility, range of motion, balance and core strength, making it one of the best workouts you can do to minimize your risk of knee injuries while skiing.

Don’t forget to include cardio exercise in your routine. Skiing can make for an intense cardiovascular workout, especially on a powder day. Cardio exercises will help you avoid fatigue on the slopes, especially if you’re putting in long days in deep snow.

Warm Up Before Skiing

Skiing is strenuous exercise, and it’s important to warm up before hitting the slopes. Just as you’d warm up prior to running a 10k race or getting on a basketball court, preparing your body for a day of skiing will help reduce the risk of a knee injury. We recommend approximately 20 minutes of dynamic stretches and light exercises to prepare your muscles for the rigors of a ski day.

Use Proper Ski Gear

You don’t need to have top-of-the-line ski gear or brand new equipment to reduce your risk of a knee injury. But using the proper ski gear will help you optimize your performance and respond to adverse conditions more effectively, which will help minimize the likelihood of getting injured.

Proper ski gear should include:

• Skis and poles that are appropriate for your height
• Boots that fit snugly on your feet without hurting
• Bindings that are correctly adjusted for your weight and skill level

In addition, you should have your skis tuned as needed to ensure they remain in good condition. The frequency of your ski tunes will depend on how often you ski. If you’re a local in a mountain town and ski four to five days a week, you’ll most likely need to get your skis tuned often. If you’re a weekend warrior who goes up to the mountains often, you’ll probably want to tune your skis at least once a month. If you only ski a few times a year, then you may be able to get away with one or two tunes throughout the season.

Keep in mind that these are general guidelines. You should always use your own judgment regarding when your skis need to be tuned. Check your edges after every day on the slopes. If they feel dull (i.e. they don’t remove a small amount of your fingernail), you should get your edges sharpened. Examine your bases to see if they’re dry or have sustained any core shots. Core shots should be repaired as soon as possible, and skis with dry bases should get waxed to keep them in good condition and ensure they glide properly over the snow.

Improve Your Ski Technique

Poor technique is one of the most common causes of skiing-related knee injuries. Focus on the following items to improve your skiing technique:

• Maintain Proper Body Position – Keep your arms forward and your hands over your skis, and position your hips above your knees. This will help you maintain proper balance and avoid skiing in the “backseat” position, which strains your knees and quads.
• Perfect Your Stance – Keep Your feet hip-distance apart, and make sure your knees, hips and ankles are aligned when squatting into a skiing position.
• Master Fall Techniques – Keep your knees slightly bent and flexed when falling to prevent them from locking up, and don’t try to get up until you’ve stopped sliding.

If you’re a beginner or intermediate level skier, consider taking a few lessons to improve your technique. Skiing with an instructor will help you learn the proper form and correct bad habits. Even if you’re an experienced expert skier, it never hurts to take an occasional lesson to fine tune your form and elevate your technique. These improvements to your technique and form can significantly reduce your risk of a knee injury.

Know the Conditions

Snow conditions vary wildly from day to day. In some instances, they may change significantly from morning to afternoon or vary based on the part of the mountain you’re skiing. Many knee injuries occur when you’re skiing at unsafe speeds for the mountain conditions. Always take note of the conditions and be a little more cautious when they are dangerous.

Listen to Your Body

This final tip may be the most important one of all. Many ski injuries occur at the end of the day – often during the last run – when your body is fatigued. Don’t try to be a hero and ski till the lifts close if you’re getting tired. Getting one last run when your body is telling you it’s time to call it quits is a formula for getting hurt. One of the best ways to avoid a knee injury is to stop skiing when you start to feel tired rather than waiting till you hit a point of total exhaustion while you’re still at the top of the mountain and need to navigate challenging terrain to get down.

Colorado Advanced Orthopedics Can Help After a Skiing-Related Knee Injury

Even if you follow all the tips listed above, there’s always a chance you’ll get hurt while skiing. If you suffer a knee injury on the slopes, Colorado Advanced Orthopedics can help. Our board-certified, Fellowship trained orthopedic surgeons have the background necessary to deliver the exceptional care you deserve. Two of our orthopedic surgeons, Dr. Alejandro Miranda and Dr. Mark Purnell, have extensive experience treating a wide range of ski-related knee injuries and can ensure you receive the proper treatment for your specific condition.

Our knee specialists treat a large number of out-of-town patients looking to receive the best orthopedic care possible. We offer telehealth consultations for out-of-town patients who would like to learn more about their options after a ski-related knee injury.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment. Colorado Advanced Orthopedics serves patients in Meeker, the White River Valley and throughout the Western Slope.