Skiing is a beloved Colorado winter sport but it comes with a fair share of risk of injury. Learn 3 ways to avoid skiing injuries this ski season from Dr. Eric McCarty, Chief of Sports Medicine at UCHealth:
- Avoid high risk behavior: Don’t hyper extend your legs when you fall. Instead, keep your knees flexed and don’t try to get up until you stop sliding. When you are down, stay down. Try to keep your arms up and forward as you fall. Don’t take any jumps unless you know where and how to land. When landing a jump, hit the ground with both skies simultaneously and keep your knees flexed.
- Continually correct your technique as you ski: Maintain balance and control by keeping your hips above your knees and your arms forward.
- Avoid poor techniques that can lead to potentially dangerous situations, including:
– Positioning your uphill arm back.
– Putting your body’s weight on the inside edge of your downhill ski tail.
– Facing your upper body away from your downhill ski. Remember to keep your arms forward, feet together, and hands over your skis.
Skiing is a way of life in Colorado. Unfortunately, injuries come with the territory. Dr. McCarty is passionate about helping people get back on the slopes and stay safe and healthy once they get there. He’d prefer to see you out on the chairlift rather than in his office with a ski injury. The mountain is full of obstacles, unknowns and variables so the risk of injury is always there. Keep these tips in mind this winter to protect yourself from injuries on the slope.