After a day spent skiing or snowboarding in the mountains, you may find yourself wondering why you’re stiff and/ or sore- it comes down to how well you’ve trained and how well you’re recovering after your chosen activity.

With temperatures warming and spring skiing approaching, it’s important to incorporate warm-up and recovery activities to keep your muscles feeling good through the end of the winter sports season.

Before hitting the slopes, perform a quick warm-up while wearing your ski or snowboard boots. Consider your downhill motions and warm up those muscle groups- squats, lateral lunges, ankle flexions (driving the knee over your toe in the boot), and be sure to incorporate upper body stretches into the warm-up.

At the end of the day, a foam roller is an excellent tool to use for muscle recovery. A 10-minute session of rolling your leg and back muscles when you get home can help your body better recuperate post-activity.

Another consideration to prolonging your season is the intensity and density of the time you plan to spend on the slopes. Intensity indicates the skill needed to complete your downhill runs; for example, green and blue runs are easier, while black runs require more experience. Density refers to the quantity of runs in a day and the number of days each week or month you plan to ski or snowboard.

When it comes to an extended spring skiing and snowboarding season, a good mantra may be “slow and steady wins the race,” especially in regards to your intensity and density as the season progresses. By pacing yourself, you’ll ensure your body is ready for the prolonged demands of winter sports, while reducing overuse and injury risks.

Barton Performance provides individualized performance training programs so you can challenge yourself, safely learn new exercises, receive guidance, and find your best self. Barton Performance is now offering both indoor and outdoor fitness classes and performance coaching sessions; learn more at BartonOrthopedicsAndWellness.com/Performance.