The physio says "don't ski so much"

[TazyMike28]

I've been told to slow down.

 

I'm 29 yrs old and skiing 22 off (16m). I had 9 sets last week then my lower back seized up and I was incapacitated. It's my third injury since the season started in October - I'd already fracture each side of my rib on two seperate occasions.

 

I need a new strategy - something like, i'll ski no more than two days in a row and work harder at my core strength.

 

I'm making it sound like I can ski whenever I want but in reality I don't own a boat, I ski with club members on the Swan River in Perth and some weeks I just get 2-3 sets. Other weeks, like this past one, everyone is on holidays and you can almost ski everyday with a different crew.

 

Maybe a limit should be: Ski four times a week max, yoga/stretching session on my rest days, run and weights session twice a week.

 

Thoughts? Injury comments?

 

 

 

[thager]

@TazyMike28 I have always treated my skiing like weight lifting. I always try to take a day off in between skiing to let the muscles recover. (Not talking advanced lifting here) I work my butt off in the off season in the gym. I concentrate on my core especially with stretching afterward. During ski season I don't lift. I only ski and stretch. As I have gotten older (60ish) sometimes 2 days of rest before skiing again has helped,

[gregy]

I had some core issues in my early 20s. I thought my back was really screwed up. At the time I was working in place were I had to go into an attic that was about about a foot short of my height regularly. I think between that and skiing a lot at the time, as my doctor said, my back muscles were overdeveloped compared to my stomach. I started doing some exercises for abs and more warm up before I ski. I quite doing stretches before I skiing a few years ago. I was told by a PT that I would be better stretch after skiing. Only do a warm up before skiing.

[PatM]

Core, core, core. I had more back issues in the past when I was just lifting. I have done more core than anything for the past 10 years and have had a lot less back issues.

During the season I only ski and stretch like @thager. I probably average 3-4 sets a week. I don't think your skiing will suffer from less sets, if anything it helped me to ski better with the rest.

[Erik4c]

@TazyMike28 great to hear you are getting so many sets, jealous!

I would say the biggest thing is listening to your body. You should be able to tell when you are getting fatigued to a point where you are susceptible to a back injury. I'm only 21 years old and have dealt with back issues already. Thanks to a good chiropractor and learning to limit myself when I'm feeling fatigued I have been able to avoid more back issues.

Also, be sure to remember that quantity does not always mean quality. Quality sets far outweigh a large quantity of sub par sets.

[TazyMike28]

@thager @gregy @"Pat M" @Erik4c Thanks Gents!

 

Core is the answer! And let my body rest!

[gregy]

@TazyMike28 if I know that I'm going to be skiing a lot at particular time I'll focuse more on technique and running a lot of passes that are comfortable for me. That way you avoid the big slack hits and injuries. I'm 49 and in it for exercise at this point more than tournaments so staying healthy is a main priority.

[mwfillmore]

Core, core, core. And watch more videos of skiers you want ski like...

[SkiJay]

In 2014, I skied over 400 sets. In 2015, knee and back issues cut that in half. Coincidence? I don't think so. My days of shortchanging recovery time are over.

[The_MS]

At 29 you should be able to go every day.

[GregHind]

Mate at 29 you should be invincible. Fix your diet. Add a LOT of protein to fuel recovery. Eggs especially. Have 3 for breakfast with vegetables. 2 cans tuna as part of lunch. Then core work at gym. Get an amazing personal trainer to help you fix the weak bits. Cut out sugar and processed crap. Drink water. Do that and ski as much as you want at your age.

[FLeboeuf]

At about your age I started to feel low back pain while skiing. I couldnt ski more than 2 sets a day 2 days in a row. On the third day I could sometimes do one easy set but not always. Im 34 and for the last 2 years I can ski as much as my muscles can endure because my low back pain is gone. I started some myofascial release on my hip flexors muscles and in the low back area. I do it almost every day but always before a set. I dont now what you do for a living but if you sit all day a lot, your hip flexors are most likely very thight which pulls down the upper anterior part of you pelvis and creates a more pronounced arch in your low back and that can lead to injuries. Marcus Brown made a video about this a while ago in his "shop talk". In find releasing the muscles works better than stretching. I definitely agree with increasing core strength. It helps keep your spine straight under load. Good luck!