Ski season is finally here — and whether you’re carving down the runs at Breckenridge, pushing your limits at Copper Mountain, enjoying the terrain parks at Keystone, or taking a weekend trip up to Monarch, it’s time to make sure your body is ready for the slopes.
As a performance physical therapist serving Colorado Springs, Falcon, Monument, and Peyton, I see a surge of patients every winter dealing with common ski injuries like ACL tears, MCL sprains, and low back pain. The good news? Most of these injuries are preventable with the right preparation, movement strategies, and recovery tools.
Here are some of my top injury prevention tips to help you stay strong, confident, and pain-free all season long.
1. Build a Strong Foundation Before You Ski
Skiing demands powerful legs, stable hips, and excellent core control. Weakness or imbalance in any of these areas can lead to compensations that put your knees, hips, or back at risk.
Focus on exercises that develop:
- Lower-body strength: Squats, split squats, step-downs, and deadlifts build stability and control for dynamic turns.
- Core stability: Planks, Pallof presses, and rotational control work are key for keeping your spine protected as you twist and move.
- Eccentric control: Movements like slow, controlled lunges help prepare your quads and hamstrings to absorb downhill forces.
If you’re unsure where to start, working with a sports physical therapist can help identify weak links and design a ski-specific strength plan.
2. Prioritize Mobility — Especially in the Hips and Ankles
Limited mobility in the hips or ankles changes how your knees track and absorb force. Over time, this can contribute to knee pain or even ligament injury.
Simple daily mobility drills include:
- Hip 90/90 rotations
- Deep squat holds
- Ankle dorsiflexion stretches
Before hitting the slopes at Vail, Loveland, or Arapahoe Basin, take 5–10 minutes for a dynamic warm-up that includes these movements plus light cardio to increase blood flow.
3. Don’t Skip Recovery
Skiing is high-intensity and places a lot of demand on your muscles, joints, and connective tissue. Without proper recovery, fatigue builds up and increases your risk of injury.
After a day at Monarch or Copper, spend time foam rolling, hydrating, and refueling with protein and carbohydrates. Gentle mobility work or a light recovery session the following day can also help reduce soreness.
For targeted muscle tension or persistent soreness, dry needling is an effective recovery technique we often use at PhysioEdge Physical Therapy & Sports Performance. It helps release tight muscle bands, improves blood flow, and speeds up recovery between ski weekends.
4. Listen to Your Body
The best skiers know when to push — and when to back off. If you feel a twinge in your knee, hip, or back that doesn’t resolve quickly, don’t ignore it. Small aches can be early warning signs of overload or compensation patterns that need attention.
A quick physical therapy assessment can often identify the issue before it becomes a season-ending injury. Addressing movement dysfunction early keeps you on the slopes longer and performing at your best.
5. Prepare for Altitude and Conditions
Ski resorts like Breckenridge, Keystone, and Vail all sit above 9,000 feet — significantly higher than Colorado Springs. If you’re not acclimated, you’ll fatigue faster, which increases injury risk. Hydrate more than you think you need, pace your first runs, and give your body time to adjust.
Changing snow conditions can also alter how your body absorbs force. Be mindful during icy mornings or late-day slush when control is harder to maintain.
Stay Ahead of Ski Injuries This Season
If you want to ski strong all season — without nagging pain or injury setbacks — now’s the time to build resilience and movement efficiency.
At PhysioEdge Physical Therapy & Sports Performance, we specialize in helping skiers and snowboarders improve mobility, strength, and control using techniques like dry needling, individualized performance physical therapy, and movement-based rehab.
Whether you’re prepping for your first trip to Loveland or gearing up for back-to-back weekends at Monarch or Vail, our goal is to keep you performing at your best — pain-free and confident on every run.
Ready to Get Slope-Ready?
Schedule a ski performance assessment today at PhysioEdge Physical Therapy & Sports Performance in Peyton.
Let’s make this your strongest, safest ski season yet.
- Dr. Michael Furlin, PT, DPT, OCS, CISSN
