5 consejos de entrenamiento para una temporada invernal épica

Por: Tori Bowlin

10 de enero de 2022

Hombre esquiando por una montaña cargada de nieve

Ya sea que se trate de esquí de fondo o esquí alpino, snowboard o caminata con raquetas de nieve, prepararse antes de la temporada es fundamental para tener una experiencia saludable y sin lesiones una vez que empieza a nevar. We’ve got you covered with expert tips that will make you the king or queen of the hill.

Millions of skiers and snowboarders hit the slopes annually. So whether you’re a weekend warrior or stay active year-round, you need to prepare your body for the demands of your favorite winter sport to avoid minor aches, pains or even severe injury.

Count on two to three weeks for your body to adapt to the physical challenges ahead if you’re active. Otherwise, give yourself a minimum of six weeks to gear up for the snow.

Ready to shred? Here are some conditioning tips to help put you on the path to a fun, successful winter season.

1. Start With Cardio

Cardiovascular exercise increases endurance as it conditions the heart, lungs and muscles and provides a solid foundation for other forms of exercise. And when you live and play at altitude, you need even more endurance.

“Las investigaciones demuestran que nuestra frecuencia cardíaca máxima, el gasto cardíaco y la capacidad de ejercicio se reducen a altitudes que superan los 5,000 pies”, explica Daniel Staffa, PT, DPT, OCS, de Renown Rehabilitation Hospital. “En el área de Reno-Tahoe, las altitudes pueden superar rápidamente los 8,000 pies cuando hacemos ejercicio en las Sierras, por lo que es fundamental tener aptitud cardiovascular para evitar la fatiga asociada y la disminución del estado de alerta mental en las pendientes”.

Pruebe esto: Pick an aerobic activity you enjoy — speed walking, running, hiking, biking or a cardio machine like the elliptical trainer. Logre un mínimo de 30 minutos tres días a la semana.

2. Increase Your Strength

Your core works overtime to stabilize the body and absorb the shock of pivots and turns and variable snow conditions. Strengthen your core, lower back, hamstrings and calves and you’ll go a long way toward guarding against ligament tears and damage to other joint structures. Stronger muscles will also allow you to relax while maintaining control and making those quick adjustments that uneven terrain demands.

Pruebe esto: Squats, wall sits and lunges. Work your core and lower and upper extremities with a variation of sit-ups, crunches, back extensions and planks.

3. Integrate Plyometrics

Staffa explains that if your legs aren’t used to absorbing the impact of landing, severe injuries can occur. Preempt such trauma with plyometric exercises, or “explosive movements,” that simulate the movements of your favorite sport. You’ll develop greater power in your legs when you combine plyometrics with your strength training.

Pruebe esto: Incorporate multi-directional drills — such as lateral jumps and forward and backward jumps — on variable surfaces like a trampoline, solid ground, or a box or step. Here’s a challenge for the more advanced: párese delante de un banco o una caja (aproximadamente a unas 12 pulgadas). Jump up and then immediately back down. Haga esto entre 10 y 30 segundos por vez, descanse y repita. Or get old school and bust out the jump rope.

4. Improve Your flexibility

Flexibility is the ability to move joints through their entire range of motion, from a flexed to an extended position. Being flexible will allow you to pivot, twist and turn and navigate varying snow conditions with ease. You can increase your flexibility while maintaining bone alignment with stretching.

Don’t forget to warm up and cool down. Intente tomárselo con calma los primeros 15 minutos de su día en la colina; intente comenzar con una pista para principiantes o caminar para calentar y preparar su cuerpo. Do the same at the end of the day or go for a brisk walk to cool down. Stretching will help return muscles to their normal length.

Pruebe esto: Dynamic stretches such as leg swings, arm swings and torso twists. Target your quads, hamstrings, calves, and lower back.

5. Fuel for the Hill

Staffa suggests loading up on healthy complex carbohydrates the day before you go out and bring along your favorite protein snacks. Assess the slopes before making that first run — is the snow heavy, fresh or wet — and stay mindful of your fatigue level throughout the day. Don’t forget to hydrate and re-hydrate before, during and after exercise. And most important, have fun!

Visite Renown Physical Therapy and Rehab para obtener más información. O bien, llame al 775982-5001 para consultar con nuestros expertos en deportes y ortopedia que pueden ayudarlo a desarrollar un programa de entrenamiento individualizado a fin de prepararse para la temporada de invierno, incluidos métodos para superar lesiones y limitaciones anteriores.

 

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