Many people spend the entire year just waiting for the winter season to roll around. That is because when the calendar switches to winter, certain activities and sports finally return. At Advance Physical Therapy, we understand the excitement this can bring. However, we also know that you need to be careful if you’d like to avoid injury. To ensure you remain protected, we’d like to share some information on how to prepare your body for the winter sports season.
Common Winter Sports Injuries
Before diving into how to prepare your body for the winter sports season, our team would prefer to review what can happen if you fail to engage in this preparation. There are various injuries you put yourself at risk for if you try to take part in winter sports when your body is not ready to go. Fortunately, our team will provide various treatment methods to get you back to full strength if this happens. If you find yourself dealing with any of the below, we’ll be there to help:
- Concussions.
- Dislocated shoulder.
- Knee injuries.
- Ankle sprains and fractures.
- Lower back problems.
Build Up Your Muscle Strength
At Advance Physical Therapy, our team has seen too many people only focus on cardio when trying to get ready for the winter sports season. While aerobic exercises will play a role in getting you in shape, overlooking strength training will be a mistake. Improving your muscle strength will help your body prepare for the toll performing winter sports can take. For the optimal preparation, we recommend focusing on toning the below areas:
- Core.
- Back.
- Glutes.
Commit To A Diet
Staying at a healthy weight is another crucial aspect of preparing for the winter sports season. Even if you’re only a few pounds overweight, this can add excess stress to your body that can lead to injury. By committing to eating healthier, you can manage your weight and ensure you are ready for the winter sports season.
Additional Preparation Advice
Making sure our patients stay injury-free throughout the winter sports season is our top priority. We want to arm you with as much preparation advice as possible for the best chance at this happening. In addition to what we have already listed, we also recommend focusing on below:
- Emphasize warming up every time before you exercise.
- Buy the appropriate protective gear.
- Purchase all the necessary winter clothes to stay warm.
- Consider taking lessons with a professional.
- Please schedule an appointment with our team for preventative care.
Contact Our Team
If you’ve been waiting all year for winter to come around, sustaining an injury during this time of year will be devastating. Fortunately, by working with our team at Advance Physical Therapy, you can prevent this from happening. For more information on how you can prepare for the winter sports season, don’t hesitate to contact us today!