Some say that you can’t have fun without a little bit of risk, and for skiing, that might be true. Skiing is an enormously exciting activity, but there’s always going to be some danger involved. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to enjoy skiing without making it as safe as possible.
Here are some ways to keep the risk level at a minimum while you’re flying down the slopes.
3 Tips to Minimize Your Risk for Injury During Skiing
Personal Fitness
The best way to stay safe while doing any activity is to keep yourself as physically healthy as possible. Do this by exercising your muscles on a continual basis, especially your back and your legs, so you’ll have more control over your skis. Stretching is very important also. If one of your skis slips on the snow, you may find yourself doing a split whether you know how to do one or not, so keep your body limber and flexible. Keeping your weight down is also important, especially if you plan on doing a lot of jumping, as all that mass coming down on your knees repeatedly is not healthy for them.
Equipment
Next, having the right equipment is pivotal to your safety. Make sure your skis are tuned correctly, and keep your ski width in the 80-90 millimeter range to help you stay in control. Also, avoid using pole straps. Pole straps make it difficult for you to close your hand into a fist when you fall, which protects your fingers from breaking. Without pole straps, you will release the poles when you fall and your hands will close automatically. Finally, and most importantly, wear a helmet. Your head is the most important part of your body, and there is no substitute for a helmet when it comes to protecting it.
Mental Focus
Finally, as with all sports, skiing is mental as well as physical. Most skiing injuries come when skiers lose focus. A miscalculation or a small lapse of judgment is all it takes for you to fall flat on your face, so do what you need to do to raise your confidence and concentration before you hit the slopes.
Skiing is one of the most popular activities in the world, and though it’s more dangerous than some other activities like chess, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make yourself safer when doing it. Just follow these tips and you should be good to go.
Contact Mid Atlantic Orthopedic Associates
If you do suffer from a fall or injury during skiing, don’t hesitate to contact us. Early detection of and care for fractures and other orthopedic injuries is important in order to heal quickly and correctly.
