Skiers normally suffer
- Knee injuries
- Thumb sprains
- Shoulder injuries
whilst Snowboarding injuries are
- Wrist sprains and fractures
- Shoulder injuries
- Head injuries
Here's some free ski tips and fitness advice to help reduce the risk of ski injury.
Improve your ski fitness
You will be skiing or boarding for several hours a day. Muscles that are prepared for this will perform better, leaving you less liable to injury.
View the physiobench programme of stretching, strengthening and core stability exercises. Do this programme at least once daily for at least 6 weeks before you head off for the slopes.
Also try to increase your aerobic activity in this time, for instance by doing some running and cycling.
Warming up
Stretching before the first run of the day will loosen muscles and prepare them for the days activities. Starting on an easy run will help your muscles to warm up.
View the physiobench programme for our recommended pre-skiing warm up exercises.
Ski equipment to use
Own skis
- Service bindings annually
- Replace bindings after a bad fall
- Check that bindings will release in a fall. Perform a self test on your bindings
Hired skis
- Make sure the shop adjust the bindings for your correct weight
- Be honest in your ability, otherwise you'll be given the wrong ski
Crash helmets
- Reduce the risk of head injuries
- Often required for children in ski school, sometimes qualifying them for a reduced rate lift pass
Wrist guards
- Significantly reduce wrist injuries whilst snowboarding
Borrowing skis
- Never borrow skis unless they are te correct length and the bindings have been adjusted. Borrowing kit increases the risk of injury by 8 times.
Take some instruction
Beginners and children run a much higher risk of skiing accident than more experienced skiers. Instructions form an early stage is a sound investment.
Ski lift accidents
Statistically you are most likely to be injured in the first few metres after leaving a chair lift. In a fall at slow speeds, the bindings often don't release, leading to serious knee ligament injury.
Anterior cruciate ligament inury can give rise to gross instability of the knee needing surgery or a long course of rehab and the use of a dynamic knee brace when returning to skiing or other sports.
Young children will ski across you so tell them which direction to exit the chairlift
Perferably only go on the lift with someone of known ability
Skiing safety
Injuries happen more ofen when you are tired, especially after lunchtime. Take a rest when you need to.
Avoid doing your hardest runs at the end of the day, when your muscles are tired and the chance of injuriing yourself is geater.
Skiing at speeds or on runs which are beyond your abilities massively increases the risk of injury.
Only ski off piste if you have the knowledge to assess avalanche risk, or are with a guide who can do so. Never ski alone off piste.
Go easy on the alcohol
Even a small amount of alcohol at lunchtime will impair your reactions and leave you more likely to injure yourself. Save it for the Apres-ski!
Dr Mike Langran and his ski injury website provides alot more information on skiing injuries.
