Sports Conditioning - Change of Seasons, Change of Sports

When the seasons change, our sports change. Our bodies, our gear, and our exercise conditioning should change, too. Preparing one's muscles for a different sport prevents injuries, enhances recovery from preexisting injuries, and improves performance for the sports to come.

Here in Colorado's Aspen Valley, cyclists are in great form. In the quiet red-rock town of Basalt, cyclists have been enjoying the splendor of riding along the Frying Pan River. For months, they have been fine-tuning their cycling muscles.

But now our attention turns to the slopes of Aspen. In fact, months before the ski resorts open for ski season, locals work on getting their "skiers' legs" on backcountry hillsides.

Cycling to Skiing: comparing Sports Conditioning styles.

Let's use the cycling-skiing comparison to demonstrate the different requirements of these sports on our bodies. First, cyclists work on staying in a tucked position. The muscles on the front of the body that put cyclists in a forward-flexed position are strong and tight. And the positioning of a cyclists' body over their bikes is grossly different than a skier's stance.

Cycling also occurs within a limited space around one's bicycle. Riding efficiently and maintaining balance on a bike requires a rider to tighten around the bike. The goal is to limit the area within which they work; i.e., to minimize their "work-space".

Skiers, on the other hand, are unlikely to be as space-conscious. Their work-space is not so strictly defined. And unless they are competitive speed-skiers, they do not need to practice staying tucked.안전놀이터

For those cyclists who are skiing in the backcountry before the start of ski resort season, their muscles are not conditioned for the change in sports. Backcountry skiing requires a different sense of balance than cycling. The work-space is broader. Obstacles may surround you. Terrain changes radically beneath the skier's feet. The skier must adapt and rebalance continually as they move.

Other conditions affect the transition in seasonal sports. These include: your gear, injuries, your overall physical activity levels, weather and environmental conditions, and participation in other sports.

Sports Injury Prevention.

When changing seasonal sports, your first priority should be to prevent injuries. Before one season ends, you should be conditioning your body for the upcoming sport. You, the athlete, should take 4-8 weeks, minimally, to prepare for the next sport. If you have any preexisting injuries, you may need longer.

If you do not make a physical transition, you are predisposing yourself to injury. It is recommended that you start the next sport at a low physical intensity. Take basic first aid precautions, if necessary. Icing sore muscles and getting aerobic exercise will remove the soreness and speed up recovery.