Pure Sports Medicine

Be ski ready: a Physiotherapist’s guide to hitting the slopes strong and safe

By Shreena Patel – Specialist MSK Physiotherapist

Ski season brings excitement, adventure, and time outdoors, but it also brings a predictable spike in injuries. The good news? Most ski injuries are preventable with the right preparation. Being “ski ready” isn’t just about fitness; it’s about resilience, control, and understanding what your body needs to cope with the demands of the mountain.

Whether you’re counting down to your first trip or dusting off the skis after a long break, here’s how to prepare your body to ski well, ski longer, and ski safer.

Why skiing is tough on the body

Skiing is a high-intensity, full-body sport that combines strength, endurance, balance, and rapid reaction times. Unlike many gym-based activities, skiing involves sustained periods of eccentric muscle work—especially through the quads and glutes—as you control speed and absorb terrain changes. Add cold temperatures, altitude, fatigue, and unpredictable snow conditions, and you have a perfect storm for injury if your body isn’t prepared.

The most common injuries we see include:
• Knee injuries (particularly ACL and MCL strains)
• Lower back pain
• Hip and groin strains
• Calf and Achilles issues
• Shoulder and wrist injuries from falls
Preparation significantly reduces the risk of all of these.

Strength: your first line of defense

Strong legs are essential, but ski strength goes beyond squats. You need strength through the hips, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves, as well as a strong core to maintain posture and control.

Key focus areas:
• Single-leg strength (lunges, step-downs, single-leg squats)
• Posterior chain strength (glutes and hamstrings to support knee control)
• Core stability (anti-rotation and anti-extension exercises)

If you only train bilaterally (both legs together), skiing will quickly expose the imbalance. Most turns load one leg more than the other, so unilateral strength matters. The club gym is perfect for building up strength, in particular the leg press, other lower limb weight machines and free weights area.

Control and stability matter more than power

Many ski injuries don’t happen because someone is weak—they happen because the body can’t control movement under fatigue. Knee injuries often occur when stability fails at the hip or ankle.

This is where neuromuscular control and proprioception come in:
• Balance training – BOSU ball
• Controlled knee alignment – leg press machine
• Dynamic stability through changing positions

Exercises like single-leg balance with movement, lateral hops, and controlled deceleration drills help train your body to respond when things get messy—like hitting uneven snow or catching an edge.

Endurance: skiing is a long game

Skiing isn’t a one-rep max effort; it’s hours of repeated effort over multiple days. Many injuries occur late in the day when fatigue sets in, and technique deteriorates.

To prepare:
• Build muscular endurance in the legs (higher reps, longer time under tension)
• Improve cardiovascular fitness so fatigue doesn’t drive poor movement
• Train in circuits to mimic sustained effort

If your legs are burning after the first run, that’s a warning sign—not a badge of honor.

Mobility: enough, not excessive

You don’t need gymnast-level flexibility to ski well, but you do need adequate mobility in key areas:
• Ankles (for absorbing terrain)
• Hips (for turning and balance)
• Thoracic spine (for posture and rotation)

Restricted mobility can force compensation elsewhere—often the knees or lower back. A simple, consistent mobility routine is far more effective than last-minute stretching in your ski boots.

Don’t ignore old injuries

Previous injuries are one of the biggest predictors of future injury. If you’ve had knee, back, or ankle issues in the past, skiing will test those areas.

Before your trip:
• Address lingering weakness or stiffness
• Progressively load the injured area
• Consider a physio-led ski prep assessment

Strapping, bracing, or supportive taping may also be useful—but only when combined with proper strength and control.

On the mountain: smart choices matter

Even the best-prepared body can be undone by poor decisions. To stay ski ready during your trip:
• Warm up before your first run (yes, it matters)
• Take breaks before fatigue forces them
• Fuel and hydrate properly
• Ease into the first day—don’t ski like it’s day five

Technique lessons can also be a powerful injury-prevention tool. Better movement efficiency reduces unnecessary strain.

Final thoughts

Skiing is demanding, exhilarating, and absolutely worth preparing for. Being ski-ready isn’t about training like an elite athlete—it’s about giving your body the capacity to cope with the sport you love. A few weeks of focused preparation can be the difference between finishing your trip strong or spending it in the medical clinic.

If you’re unsure where to start, the team at Pure Sports can help tailor a ski-specific program to your body, history, and goals. Your future knees will thank you—preferably from the chairlift, not the clinic.

See you on the slopes.

By Shreena Patel
Specialist MSK Physiotherapist
Shreena Patel – Pure Sports Medicine