Ski Season Prep: 4 Science Backed Ways to Stay Strong, Prevent Injury, and Maximize Your Time on the Slopes
Ski season is right around the corner, and if you live in the Reno/Tahoe area, you can already feel it. That mix of excitement and “uh oh, my legs aren’t ready yet.”
Every year people hit the mountain with big energy and good intentions… but by day three, their knees ache, their hips are tight, and their legs feel cooked. It’s as common as long lift lines over Christmas.
The good news? It’s really easy to stay healthy this season. You just need a smart, consistent plan built on real science. So, we’ve done just that, and put together four proven strategies that will help you stay strong, stable, and ready for those first chair-to-last run kind of days.
First: Build Leg Strength That Transfers: Focus on Eccentric Control
When it comes to skiing, your legs don’t just push, they absorb. That means your muscles, especially your quads and glutes, spend a lot of time working eccentrically (lengthening under tension).
Research shows that eccentric strength training, like slow, controlled squats, split squats, or tempo lunges can significantly reduce injury risk and improve endurance on the slopes.
In The Gym:
Add 3 sets of 8 slow(tempo) eccentric split squats (3-second lower, 1-second up) twice a week. Your quads will thank you halfway through your first powder day.
Second: Strengthen Your Core and Hips: They’re the Foundation
Weak hips and poor core stability are two of the biggest predictors of knee injuries in skiers.
Studies in the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation show that improving hip abductor and external rotator strength helps control knee tracking and prevents the dreaded “valgus collapse” (when your knees cave in).
In The Gym:
Include side planks, single-leg bridges, and banded lateral walks in your warm-ups.
These simple movements build the stability you need for every turn, jump, and landing.
Third: Train Balance and Reaction Time Not Just Strength
Most ski injuries don’t happen because of weakness; they happen because your body can’t react fast enough when things go wrong.
That’s where neuromuscular training comes in. Research from The American Journal of Sports Medicine shows that balance and proprioceptive training (your body’s awareness of position and movement) can cut lower-body injuries by up to 30%.
In The Gym:
Practice single-leg balance on an unstable surface (like a BOSU ball or foam pad or yoga block).
Mix in quick lateral hops or reactive step drills. It doesn’t need to be complicated, just train your body to respond faster.
Last But Not Least: Don’t Neglect Recovery, It’s What Keeps You Consistent
You can’t perform or even enjoy your season if you’re always playing catch-up with soreness or fatigue. In fact, recovery is one of the most overlooked factors in ski performance.
A 2023 review in Frontiers in Sports Science found that athletes who focused on proper sleep, hydration, and post-training recovery (like mobility work or sauna use) not only performed better, and they also had lower injury rates.
Recovery Tips:
After your training sessions, take 10 minutes to stretch your quads, hips, and calves.
If you have access to a sauna or contrast therapy, use it once or twice a week to promote recovery and circulation. If you don’t, the Best Motor Lodge in Midtown has a great Sauna Club that is worth looking into.
The Bottom Line
Snow sports like skiing and snowboarding are some of the best past times in our area, and also some of the best full-body workouts out there! But they also demand respect. If you start preparing now, even with small consistent habits, you’ll ski longer, feel better, and actually enjoy those long days instead of grinding through pain and soreness all year long.
And if you need help building your preseason plan, that’s what we do at Alpine Powerhouse.
Our ski prep programs are built for real people like outdoor athletes, working professionals, and anyone who wants to move better, stay healthy, and get more from every run.
