The winter season is fast approaching , which means getting back to the slopes and the snow will increase your risk for injury.

One of the best things you can do is engage in specific forms of pre-season conditioning to prepare your muscles for the unique demands of skiing and snowboarding. This will help you stay under control in any conditions and prevent early fatigue. Here are three suggestions for exercises to help hone your strength, balance, and agility.

1 -  Strength in skiing prepares you to last the entire day. Focus primarily on building quadriceps strength, but also make time for the hamstrings and hip musculature. To gain strength you need to overload your muscle until it reaches fatigue. I like doing held squats on top of a BOSU ball. You can also use a foam roller as a substitute. Start by holding for 30 seconds and then build up your time from there. As you progress, try doing it with your eyes closed. Do 3-5 repetitions.

2 -  Balance involves your body’s ability to recognize where it is in space and how it maintains its center of gravity over its base of support. Balance will help you maintain control of your edge while making turns. A good exercise for this is a single-leg forward bend while reaching across your body, as if to pick something up off the floor. Do 3 sets of 10 and attempt to maximize your distance and improve control.

3 -  Agility is another component of a conditioning program that is very important. This is the ability to change position or direction quickly while maintaining control. A good exercise for this is lateral jumps over a line. Go back and forth, working on quick transitions and quiet, controlled landings. This will save you in the trees and from varying conditions on the run. Do for 30 seconds, 3 sets

If your knees make a crunching sound when you move them and your hips hurt when you sit down or stand up, you may be interested in reading further! Most of us have heard the term osteoarthritis (OA), but some of us would probably appreciate a bit more information on what’s really going on inside our joints, and I bet there’s even a few who are wondering if there’s a way to prevent it, or at least slow the process once it has begun…

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of disability in the United States today, effecting over 14 million Americans, and that means it’s also one of the most common forms of disability right here in Salem. The joints most commonly affected are the hip and knee, and risk factors include age, obesity, genetic factors, and joint trauma or injury.

That being said, how does one know if they have OA?

Traditionally, osteoarthritis has been diagnosed when one sees a combination of the following changes on x-rays:

    1 -  Cysts below joint cartilage
    2 -  Joint space narrowing
    3 -  Hardened joint borders
    4 -  Bone spurs

The bad news is that many people who have symptoms associated with early onset OA don’t have any radiographic changes, but the good news is that about 40% of patients who do have radiographic changes don’t have pain. Thus, it seems logical that OA should not be diagnosed by a stand-alone x-ray, but in combination with clinical findings.

Some common clinical findings that are often associated with OA are as follows:

    1 -  Age >50
    2 -  Morning stiffness less than 30 to 60 minutes
    3 -  A crunching sound associated with joint movement
    4 -  Bony enlargement
    5 -  Joint soreness, stiffness, or pain, followed by periods over overuse or inactivity

Now that we know a little bit more about OA, what can we do about it?

Preserve the integrity of your joints is with lifestyle behavior changes such as weight reduction with diet and cardiovascular exercise if overweight or obese

Participate in a lower body strengthening program, as loss of leg muscle strength is correlated with disability and pain associated with OA

Some find benefit from glucosamine, which is widely marketed for those with OA, but be aware that there is controversy in the research surrounding the efficacy and long term benefits of supplementation

If none of these options seem to relieve your symptoms, your best option is to come see your physical therapist for a biomechanical assessment, manual therapy, and specific exercise. Multimodal physical therapy treatment has been shown to decrease pain and stiffness and increase functional capacity and walking distance for those with osteoarthritis, which may defer or decrease the need for surgical intervention. Feel free to call or email with questions, and enjoy that Fall weather!

Vitamin D, specifically D3, is a necessary nutrient that is primarily produced from skin exposure to sunlight.  Very little is actually derived from the diet.  Recent research is finding more and more athletes to be Vitamin D deficient (especially in northern climates) which is placing athletes of all levels and ages at a higher risk for injury and prolonged recovery.

In an article written by Dr. Franklin D. Shuler, studies of athletes have found that increasing Vitamin D levels help reduce inflammation and pain while at the same time increasing protein synthesis, strength, jump height and velocity and exercise capacity.* In Vitamin D deficient states muscle fiber atrophy begins to develop, particularly in Type II muscle fibers which are important for burst activities and peak athletic performance.

Vitamin D also plays an important role in bone health, helping to increase the amount of calcium absorbed by the bones thus reducing fracture risk.  Finally, Vitamin D levels have also been associated with amounts of inflammation in the body.  Increased levels of Vitamin D are linked with decreased muscle inflammation which promotes a more speedy recovery from a hard workout or event (or injury).

Vitamin D is easy to supplement.  The benefits previously mentioned are achieved with an intake of 4000-5000 IUs per day.  Vitamin D3 is readily available at most pharmacies and health food stores and your levels can be tested by your physician to make sure you are at an optimal/healthy level.

* Shuler, Franklin et al; Sports Health Benefits of Vitamin D. Nov/Dec 202. Marshal Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery.