Keeping Your Knees Strong and Safe During Ski Season: Preventing Knee Injuries with Physical Therapy

Winter always brings the excitement of hitting the slopes and enjoying the thrill of downhill skiing and snowboarding. However, it also comes with the risk of knee injuries, particularly ACL and MCL strain or injury. It should come as no surprise that these winter sports, while deeply exciting, place the individual athlete at risk for injury given its speed, lateral cutting motions, the potential to fall awkwardly, and the risk of being knocked over by or colliding with others on the mountain. 

So, how can one minimize those risks before they head out to the mountains? Strengthening knees for skiing and riding all comes down to preparation, a consistent and focused workout routine, and pre/post activity stretching.  

Step 1: Pre-Season Prep with your Physical Therapist 

If you are working with your physical therapist currently, it’s always a good idea to schedule a few sessions to assess your readiness and develop a workout plan. Your therapist will conduct a comprehensive evaluation that examines knee stability, leg and core strength. Then, based on your age, fitness and your skiing/riding goals - we can develop a personalized treatment and/or workout plan for you to follow!

Step 2: Strengthening throughout the Season

Skiing and snowboarding are highly dynamic full-body activities that require incredible strength, coordination and cardio fitness. These sports recruit a complex network of muscles and joints to perform under stress of speed, force and gravity. That’s why it is crucial to make a snowsport-specific workout plan prior to and during the season to strengthen the surrounding muscles that support the ACL and MCL ligaments. Here are a few knee strengthening exercises you can pursue to be ready for the slopes: 

Squat Jumps: Strengthen your leg muscles and improve explosive power with squat jumps. Start with a basic squat and add a jump at the end, landing softly to protect your joints.

Lateral Leg Raises: Target your hip abductors and adductors with lateral leg raises. Use resistance bands to increase intensity and mimic the lateral movements often required in skiing.

Balance Exercises:  Enhance your balance and stability with exercises like single-leg stands, Bosu ball exercises, and stability ball squats. These exercises simulate the uneven terrain of the slopes.

Agility Drills Mimic the quick and precise movements needed for skiing with agility drills. Set up a cone course and practice quick direction changes to improve your responsiveness on the slopes.

Plyometric Exercises: Incorporate plyometric exercises like box jumps and ski jumps to boost your overall power and explosiveness, crucial for navigating varied terrains.

Step 3: Warm Up Your Body Before Hitting the Lifts, Stretch and Cool Down before Apres!

As with all sports, it is always a good idea to get your body warmed up and ready for the activity ahead. Since skiing and riding are dynamic sports, your pre-lift routine should involve a combination of static and dynamic activities. Here are a few we recommend you incorporate into a 10 minute routine. This will activate the muscles you will be using, get fluids moving to your joints and reduce your chance of ACL or MCL injury.

• Foam rolling quads, calves and glutes

• Cat / Cow Stretches

• Sideline Stretches

• T-Spine Rotations

• Alternating Lunges

• Single Leg Lateral Jumps

Ready for Apres? Give your body 15 minutes of stretching love first. This will help unwind and lengthen the muscles you’ve been working so hard and relieve pressure on your joints as well. Breaking out the foam roller and stretching the quads, hamstrings, calves, hip flexors and glutes will go a long way in preventing soreness and have you ready for the next day’s adventure on the mountain!

Uh Oh. It Happened. Now What. 

Once you sustain an ACL or MCL injury know that this is not necessarily the end of your time on the mountain!  There are many options for healing and return to sport that one can pursue and that are greatly aided by time with your physical therapist. At Thrive, we are deeply experienced in caring for athletes with knee injuries and have staff members with advanced orthopedic credentialing in the science of sports recovery.  We’ll partner closely with you and your medical care provider to evaluate the extent of your injury and chart the best surgical approach for you. Post surgery, we’ll tailor a dynamic rehabilitation plan that brings you back to activity and return to sport as soon as possible.

Additionally, we work with persons who, despite the ACL or MCL tear, choose to rehabilitate without surgery.  This is appropriate for older individuals who are not cutting athletes but who would like to return to low/moderate impact exercise like walking, hiking, swimming, etc.   For this group, we emphasize postural control, strength, and balance training so the athlete can engage their muscles as the primary control to unwanted movement in the knee.  Ultimately, both paths to recovery have strong evidence to support that guided strength training, balance education, and sport specific rehabilitation under the care of a physical therapist are essential.  

With the right precaution, exercise, and knowledge about knee injury prevention, you can protect your knees and enjoy the season to the fullest. Physical therapy plays a crucial role in keeping your knees strong and safe, ensuring a memorable and injury-free skiing experience. Consult with our physical therapists for personalized guidance and prevention strategies!