Snow Report 2008 - Dont slip up this ski season

Are you skiing or snowboarding this season following the wipe out last year and the ACL knee surgery that followed? If you are then hopefully you recovered and did your rehab with the assistance of Graham, James or one of the other physiotherapists in the team here at Balance Performance Physiotherapy London.

Initial snow reports have shown good snow across Europe and good skiing and boarding conditions often mean a reduced injury risk. Last year bad ski conditions led to more than a few new faces in what became for us a very busy ski and sports injury clinic.

Just because skiing conditions are favourable do not become blasé on the piste.

There's no such thing as a Free Ride! Proper preparation is essential and an intelligent approach to each day of skiing or boarding makes a significant difference to your chances of holiday wrecking crashes.

FIVE TIPS FOR WINTER SPORTS 2008

• Don't ski or board challenging runs when hungover, physically tired or mentally fatigued after a long day on the slopes.
• Don't ski or board if your instinct tells you to leave that particular run or trick alone.
• Be confident in your skiing but choose your battles wisely.
• Ski and snowboard with skill not bravado. Think progression not aggression, that goes for the advanced as well as the novice. Don't take bets or challenges without very good odds!
• Be ski fit and take lessons.

You feeling in top shape for the Winter sports that lay ahead?

Have you prepared yourself with a strength and conditioning programme during the last couple of months of 2007 in a dreary London?

If you have then it will have included:

• joint mobility, quality movement, flexibility and agility.

You will have developed:

• dynamic strength, power and endurance

Not just in the legs but in the pelvis, trunk and shoulders as well (AKA the "core" by the media and fitness industry types).

Even if you just used the treadmill and weight machines in your local gym being a little fitter will have helped, maybe....or maybe not!

If you havent done a thing then depending when your going its not too late, drop us an email and we will advise you of the best approach available. Maybe its Pilates, personal training, a physiotherapy review or guiding you to lose a few more kilos from around the waist with good advice from our dietician Rees Colling.

Either way an email costs nothing so CONTACT US

For an idea of the strength, power and endurance exercises that you should be doing, using just your bodyweight, go here: 

For international snow reports try -www.igluski.com/snowreports.cfm

Enjoy yourself and be safe!