![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Poster: A snowHead
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What warm up exercises, if any, do people do before starting a ski day? I always try and do some warms ups, with easy dynamic stretches and then an easy run, especially on cold days. But other people suggest this is a waste of time (and possibly old hat advice?) and that a easy, gentle run is all that is needed. What are other people's views?
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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"Warm up" to me is a coffee stop when it's -15 and with serious windchill on top.
I just do a blue or easy red to start the day.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I thought stretching before exercise was being debunked these days. Warm up by all means - get accomodation or Park farther from the slope to get a pulse going on the hike.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) You need to Login to know who's really who.
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My tip is to stay away from the slopes , i couldnt be arsed doing warm ups but i do enjoy a crisp ten minute walk to the lifts.
Its cheaper and nice to take in the views and shake off the alcohol fuzz.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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none.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hot bath to loosen up my old bones and a warm up run.
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Used to do a five minute warm up i saw on youtube... but now i have a coffee instead, as hawkwind says,, a good walk to the lift etc is usually enough ... especially at my age ... didnt do much good though.. still broke my leg lol
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Unless you can literally ski from the door, i expect you'll be pretty warmed up by the time you start skiing. Other than that, I use some yoga to stretch and ease stiffness but not necessarily just before heading for the slopes.
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Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
I thought stretching before exercise was being debunked these days. |
I think that's correct. Warm up before exercise, stretch at the end of exercise.
I've heard it said "warm up to ski, don't ski to warm up".
Personally I like to warm up for a few minutes before skiing, either with a brisk walk or a bit of jogging on the spot, followed by some exercises to loosen up legs (swings legs back/fore, left right) then hips (knee up, turn out, knee down, reverse) then some rotation (poles across shoulders turn left/right) and then some bending to the sides - just to loosen everything up. A few times I've twanged something (medical term) by skiing from cold. If you do any of the Inside Out clinics at Hemel Rob starts with that sort of routine, but I've also seen similar elsewhere, and picked most of it up originally myself from a PT.
Another approach I was taught was to use your first (easy) run of the day to warm up - do separate activities to warm up your body (short turns, jumping etc), your balance (play around being fore/aft find the sweet spot) and your mind (arousal levels, focus).
I find both approaches helpful, and tend to do a but of both.
At the end of the day's skiing I do like to spend some time stretching, I find that I can really tell the difference the next day if I haven't stretched down the previous day.
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Views?
The idea of warming up to sit on a chair lift is interesting. How long does the supposed benefit from the "warm up" exercise last, I wonder? Why would gentle exercise (stretching) make slightly less gentle exercise (skiing) easier?
Personally I've been trained and coached and most of those people push "warm up" exercises, although those people are just repeating their training - they're not physiology experts. I don't feel it has any effect, from my experience.
The phrase "warm up" implies that your body behaves like something which needs to warm up - a combustion engine perhaps. If you take that idea away, there doesn't seem to be much left in the concept.
Even so, if you find it helps you, then I'd keep on doing it.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Quote: |
Why would gentle exercise (stretching) make slightly less gentle exercise (skiing) easier?
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I wouldn't call skiing a "gentle exercise" by any means
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@moseyp, depends how one skis. I exert myself more doing the housework.
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Just to wake up the legs, if I'm ski-in ski-out a walk to a barista made coffee. Or if not ski-in ski-out loading skis, packing the van will do.
Wearing ski gear warms me up quickly & I stay warm until loading on to lift/gond. Usually unzipping arm pit & leg zips by then.
After doing 2 ACL's it's important to warm up.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) You know it makes sense.
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Thanks all. Interesting to hear the different views. A brisk walk at start of the day and coffee seem very popular !
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Carrying MrsHD's skis to the lift generally does it for me.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Poster: A snowHead
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Stretching is pretty essential for me, before and after, to prevent leg and back issues. Not just skiing but other activities too. Suffering atm as I haven't been as good as I should be 😣
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Whitelines did a bit of a review of stretching prior to starting your day a few weeks back... Remember when I did a freestyle course with Definitions, Gav Learmouth was very keen on people warming up before kickoff with ankle, knee and hip rotations which I do still do... sometimes... but I can't stand the noise.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I think the key part is not so much muscle stretching, or any kind of aerobic activity, but gently working your body through the range of movements it will need to make. Walking to the lift will be a good way to do some of those, but as skiers/boarders we also make a lot of movements that walking won't provide, especially the twisting and rotational ones. Doing these before skiing/boarding will mean you can probably do them with a bit more control and without also loading the joints at the same time. Then when you come to actually use the joint when sliding it is less likely to result in injury.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sometimes a hot shower in the morning, but really just taking the first few runs slower to get things moving. I've heard that stretching cold muscles increases the risk of tears?
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