How to get the best out of your skiing holiday
Unless you are lucky enough to be on a gap year or sabbatical and are “doing a season” you can understandably feel that you have to go out on the snow every day you are away to get the most out of your week. No professional athlete would take on a mode of exercise that the body was not accustomed to and go immediately from zero to near full capacity in that mode for 6 days in a row, (add to that the extra demands on your metabolism that the previous night’s festivities may have had), so feeling your legs aching and weakening by the 3rd or 4th day on the slopes is hardly surprising. So what can we do on holiday to treat this muscle soreness? In truth, not a lot. The debate is ongoing but there is unfortunately little evidence to suggest that stretching (before or after), baths (hot or icy cold), massage or even ibuprofen helps once delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) from a new form of exercise is in progress. It will fade with time, and prevention by gradually getting the body accustomed to a specific type of exercise is the only thing that can limit the effect due to what is known as the repeated-bout effect. Some DOMS is virtually inevitable, as nothing quite emulates the unique action on your muscles and joints of a full day of skiing/boarding, multiplied by 6 or more days. This however does not mean that there is no point in stretching while on holiday, far from it! Stretching after you come off the slopes is crucial, as although it may not specifically help with DOMS, it can help prevent more serious muscle strains (i.e. pulled muscles). This sharp, debilitating pain and possibly bruising over the injury site of a specific muscle, commonly hamstrings, could put an end to your holiday. The thinking on stretching has turned on its head in recent years. It was in the past common practice to stretch as part of a warm up before sport, this has however been debunked and it has been shown that only stretching after sport has any effect in preventing injury. So, it may be the last thing you feel like doing when you get back after a good days skiing, but to prevent pulled muscles as a minimum stretch the muscles that form the main shock absorbers in your legs i.e. Gluteals, Thighs (Hamstrings and Quadriceps), and Calves. In summary: some general muscle pain in your legs on your ski holiday is almost inevitable, but don't be alarmed by it and don't be concerned that stretching isn't making it feel much better. Keep stretching at the end of your day and you will still be maximising your enjoyment by preventing more serious injury. Increasing cardiovascular fitness and endurance before you go will obviously make your days more enjoyable, as will lower limb strengthening and stability exercises done in preparation for your holiday. Don't leave any “little niggles” you have in the back, hips, knees or ankles to the week before you are due to go away, make an appointment with us early and we can get these issues diagnosed and tuned up before you leave. We can also advise on stretches, and preparatory strengthening and stability exercises that may get you some of the way to preventing DOMS. Happy Skiing!
