By: Adam Duncan, PT, DPT

Growing up in Michigan, winter sports dominate the culture. When I was 8 or 9 years old, my grandfather took me out on the slopes to snowboard for the first time, and it was incredibly frustrating. I had a hard time picking it up quickly, and- as any of you know who have tried to snowboard- it was so challenging. But I kept at it. Over the next few years, I continued to go back to the mountain with him, and it sparked my love for the sport. During one of my rotations in PT school I was lucky enough to live in Colorado and had found some precious time to hit the slopes. The runs were different than what I had grown up with, but that only helped me sharpen my skills.

Now, living in the Valley, I make it to the mountains to snowboard about three to four times a year. I focus on increasing my cardiovascular endurance, lower extremity flexibility, core strength, and lower extremity strength in order to ensure I am ready for the slopes. Injury is difficult to prevent in a sport as rigorous and difficult as snowboarding.

Here are three areas to work on to make sure you are ready to hit the slopes this season:

Mobility

Runner’s Gastrocnemius Stretch (20 reps x 5 second hold)

  1. PPlace your hands on a wall or on a chair out in front of you. Place one foot of the leg you are stretching back and keep the knee straight. Then, place your front foot far enough in front of you so that you can lunge forward while keeping your balance.
  2. Slowly shift your body forward by increasing the bend on your front leg. Make sure you keep your back foot flat on the floor. You should feel a stretch in the back of your lower leg.
Dynamic Hamstring Stretch in Chair (20 reps x 5 second hold)

  1. Begin in a standing position with a chair in front of you. Make sure you have a solid object next to you for balance assistance as needed. Place the leg you wish to stretch on the chair, keeping your knee straight and pointing your toes toward the ceiling.
  2. Bend forward at the waist until you feel a stretch across the back of the thigh of the leg on the chair. First, reach with both hands towards toes. Second, reach with your right hand toward the opposite side of the heel up on the chair. Then, reach with your left hand toward the opposite side of the heel up on the chair. Alternate back and forth between the three hand positions. Tip: You control the intensity of the stretch with how far you lean your body forward and how far you reach with your arm.
Standing Figure 4 Stretch with Rotations (20 reps x 5 second hold, each direction)

  1. Stand with your feet hip width apart. Transfer all your weight to one leg. Lift your other leg up and bend your knee to place on top of a high surface. Your knee should be bent out in front of you making a triangle.
  2. Lean your torso forward, bringing your chest towards your knee to increase the stretch. Once you feel comfortable in the stretch, slowly start moving your arms/torso to the right and left. Pause momentarily at the end range of each stretch.
Half-kneeling Dynamic Hip Flexor Stretch (20 reps x 5 second hold)

  1. Begin in half kneeling position. To stretch your right hip, kneel on your right knee.
  2. Before shifting your weight forward, tilt your pelvis posteriorly- or tuck your tailbone- by engaging your core and your right glute muscle. Make sure to keep your hips square. Then, gently shift your weight forward. Tip: To increase the stretch, reach over your head to the left with your right arm.

Strengthening

Side Lying Clam Shells with Resistance Band (3 sets x 10 reps)

  1. Begin by lying on your side. Bend your bottom leg and keep your top leg straight. Slowly lift your straightened top leg while keeping your toe pointed down and your heel toward the ceiling. Slowly bring to your starting position. Relax and repeat as directed. Perform on other side. Tips: Keep your hip extended, try not bend at the waist with your top leg.
Side Lying Hip Adduction (3 sets x 10 reps)

  1. Begin by lying on your side with the side you intend to exercise upwards with an exercise band tied around your thighs. With your knees bent and feet together, slowly pull your knees apart, keeping your feet together. Place hand on pelvis to ensure that you are not rotating your pelvis during the movement. If pelvic stability is maintained, you should start to feel a burn in your glutes. If unable to maintain stable pelvis during movement, decrease resistance of band.
Bridges with Resistance Band (3 sets x 10 reps)

  1. Lie on your back with your feet planted firmly in the ground. Tighten your abdominals, push lightly outward against the resistance band, and lift your hips off the table. Squeeze glutes at the top of movement and hold for 3 seconds. If you feel this exercise in your low back, you are elevating off the table or ground too high. Reduce amplitude of movement.
Terminal Knee Extension Exercises with Resistance Band (3 sets x 10 reps)

  1. Take a long resistance band and loop it around a fixed surface in line with your knees. Loop one leg through the band and ensure that the band is taut. With your feet shoulder width apart, tighten the quad of your working leg and push your knee back against the band in order to straighten your leg. Hold for 3 seconds.

Performance

Wall Tap Jumps (3 sets x 30 second bouts)

  1. Start facing wall with your arms above your head and your heels raised off the ground. Jump up. While landing, try to ensure you land on the balls of your feet in order to properly load for the next jump. Keep consistent pace throughout the duration of the set. Rest for 2 minutes between sets.
Lateral Line Jumps Double Leg (3 sets x 30 second bouts)

  1. Stand parallel to a drawn or imaginary line with your feet together. Moving laterally, jump to the other side of the line. As quickly as tolerated, jump back to original spot with emphasis on landing on the balls of your feet. Repeat for 30 seconds at a comfortable speed. To progress, increase speed of jumping.
Lateral Line Jumps Single Leg (3 sets x 30 second bouts)

  1. Stand parallel to a drawn or imaginary line with one foot off the ground and one foot elevated from ground. Moving laterally, jump to the other side of the line. As quickly as tolerated, jump back to original spot with emphasis on landing on the balls of your feet. Repeat for 30 seconds at a comfortable speed. To progress, increase speed of jumping.
12-inch Box Jumps (3 sets X 10 reps)

  1. Begin standing with feet shoulder width apart in front of box.
  2. Bend your knees and slowly lower your body into a squat position keeping your core engaged. Explode through your feet and jump up onto the box landing with mid/forefoot. Emphasize landing as quietly as possible. Step back down to starting position. Do not let your knees buckle in when initiating jump.

Regardless of the amount of training, snowboarding is a sport that carries a risk of injury which is unpreventable. However, these exercises can help you feel heathy and prepared to take on the physical demands of the slopes. If you are concerned about your readiness to ski or snowboard, Spooner offers complimentary movement screens to assess for orthopedic limitations. Schedule an appointment today to have your readiness assessed by a physical therapist.