It’s: time to sweat, stretch,
strengthen muscles and. other-
wise’ condition the body to be
ready for ski hills and trails with
the first blanket of snow. |
Whether you are a weekend
recreational skier or a compet-
itor, a downhill: enthusiast or
one who delights in cross-coun-

try skiing, proper preseason con-.

ditioning can reduce chances of
injury and improve skill and
style on ski runs and trails, -ac-
cording to -sports-medicine spe-
cialists.

“If your body i isn’t prepared

you won't enjoy the sport and at
the same time you will place
yourself at risk for injury,’’
warns Dr. Nigel Clement, an or-

thopedic surgeon and. sports- -

medicine physician at Toronto’s
Fitness Institute.
‘Skiers will get more bang for

their buck if their muscles are

finely tuned, so there is a mini-
mum energy requirement to get
results from the use of
muscles,’’ Dr. Clement said.

‘Training should be a year-
round activity, but it’s not too
late to begin, said Dr. Clement,
who compares an over-all fitness
program with having a car tuned
regularly. ‘‘It avoids potential
problems,’’ he said.

He favours a a training pro-
gram of at least one hour a day
for four to five days a week.

Because downhill skiing is a
high-velocity sport with rapid
bursts of activity and the dura-
tion of the typical ski run is no

_ Sweat, stretch and strengthen ©
- keys to safe and enjoyable skiing

more than a few minutes, the
emphasis in training should be
on strength,. flexibility, power
and balance, the experts.say.
The cross-country skier..will

benefit by initially..focusing on

improving cardiovascular fitness
and endurance because of the
sport’s demand on heart and
lungs. -

However, for both the cross-
country and downhill skier, a
program to improve flexibility is
of prime importance. The pre-
scription for flexibility consists
of-a variety of stretching exer-
cise, but only after the body is
fully warmed up.

To improve flexibility it may
be necessary to do stretching
exercises three times.a day, but it
is not.as onerous a chore as it
seems, A series of stretches can
be completed within five min-

“utes.

Fifteen minutes daily of ap-
propriate stretches will improve
flexibility. Flexibility improves
performance and enhances the
enjoyment of the sport. If you
aren't flexible, there is a greater
propensity for injury.

Stretching is the most import-
ant and most neglected exercise,
Clement has found. ‘‘Most in-

juries occur when skiers fail to

warm up and neglect to stretch

their muscles before undertaking

vigorous exercise,” he said.
‘The most successful strength

‘and flexibility program is one

that involves all parts of the
body: upper and lower back,

chest, and lower extremities, in-
cluding hamstrings, quadriceps,
hip flexors and abductors.

Muscles should be stretched
slowly and the position held for
about 30 seconds before slowly
coming out of the stretch.

Muscle strength is important
to improve speed and balance
and for performance over a long
period. If muscles become fati-
gued, performance deteriorates.
In downhill skiing, accidents
take place later in the day; as
tiredness sets in, skiers begin los-
ing control.

Skiers should adopt a game
plan in preparation for the
slopes and trails. For those who
start early enough, the first six

weeks should be devoted to

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flexibility, aerobics and an
assessment of balance. The next
six weeks should be used to
develop strength.

Ski-related aerobic activities
include running, cycling (on the
road and on a stationary bike)
and dry-land skating on in-line
roller skates, referred to com-
monly by the brand name Rol-
lerblades.

Skiing simulators, such as
NordicTrack, originally design-
ed to simulate cross-country ski-
ing, and Skiers Edge, which
duplicates the motion of down-
hill skiing, are among the pop-
ular devices for training in the
off hours.

Exercises designed for down-

hill skiers should focus on the -

legs, hamstrings, quads, and
Achilles tendon, all of which
should be stretched, Clement ad-
ded.

While conditioning will mini-
mize the risk of injury, fatigue-
related minor injuries are not

uncommon on the slopes or
trails and should not be ignored.

If the injury fails to improve
within four to five days, consult
a doctor. ‘‘Proper diagnosis and
adherence to a home exercise
program are essential to prevent
a more serious problem.”