Orthopedic Local News

A: We all obviously try to hang on to summer as long as possible. As the days get shorter however, you have to start to diversify your workout routine. The most common mistake I see is that people just completely blow off their preseason conditioning because they are trying to hang on to summer until the very last minute. Start to diversify your routine now, and you will have a full 6-8 weeks of improving fitness as we move into the next season. Remember, at this point in the year there are only marginal gains that can be made from continuing with your bike or running routine.

Volunteers at World Cup Beaver Creek

The ever so inviting backcountry skiing is not always as harmless as it looks. Below is a powerful video and true story about several very gifted athletes that were unfortunate enough to fall victim to an avalanche. 

Video Credit: BRASS Foundation

It is helpful to be educated on the safety measures available while back country skiing. This is an important message to everyone including our local ski teams who have the potential to be our future Olympians. 

www.teamsummit.org

A: Stretching is probably the most important thing to do throughout the season. Again, low back, hamstring, and quad mobilization can help you to enjoy a long and healthy ski season. A short core session 2-3 times per week can also be really helpful to keep the core engaged throughout its full range.

Early morning training session with only the best.

Good luck this season!

A: I can't tell you how many people end their ski season in November or December after injuring the Anterior Cruciate Ligament of their knee. ACL injuries typically occur after an athlete gets into a position where their body weight is behind their feet. The core is at a serious disadvantage in this position and the athlete then struggles to keep the feet under the center of mass. The weight of the body rotates around the lower body, resulting in a twisting force across one of the knees. The all too familiar "pop" that is experienced in the knee at this time is almost always the result of a complete tear of the ACL. This season ending injury is a guarantee for a great snow year.

As medical director of Team Summit, Dr. Dorf and his team of athletic trainers and physical therapists have recently completed the Fit For Duty physicals for Team Summits coaches.  VSO is looking forward to a safe season with Team Summit Colorado. Good luck to all the athletes and have fun out there!

Dr. Dorf-Team Summit Medical Director

A special thank you to the ATCs and physical therapists who helped with the evaluations. You guys are awesome!

A: There are really three reasons to put some time in now in preparation for the ski season.

First and foremost, injury prevention. There is nothing worse than getting really excited for a big season, and then having an early season injury change your plans. The only way to guarantee a big snow year is to have an early season injury that keeps you from enjoying the winter.

Secondly, all the time you put into your ski fitness now will make your enjoyment of the early season so much better. The slopes are frequently crowed and the conditions sub-optimal so the more on the ball you can be the better.

The third important reason to prepare for the upcoming season is so that you can maximize your improvement over the winter. If you spend half of the season fighting for your fitness, that only allows you another half of a season to take advantage of this fitness to make significant strides in your technique. I have been skiing for 47 years now, and I am continually trying to get better, or at least, not get much worse!

It is time to start thinking about getting into gear for ski season! Avalanche Physical Therapy is offering a new fall Sports Agility class at the Breckenridge Rec Center on Wednesday evenings starting November 7th. The classes will be moderate to advanced in difficulty. This is a chance to get ahead of the game this winter season! Call Avalanche physical therapy a register, today.

A: Because much of what we do during the summer is straight ahead, with an emphasis on endurance and putting one foot (or pedal) in front of the other for hours at a time, we need to diversify our movement patterns. So in addition to doing specific core work (look on YouTube to see Lindsey Vonn's core workouts), agility work that includes side-to-side exercises, short sprints, trail running, or again a ski conditioning class at one of our local gyms is critical. We should also be thinking about specific stretching exercises to address tightness in areas like the hip flexors, low back, and glutes.

A: As anybody knows, the best way to get in shape for skiing or snowboarding is to ski or snowboard. The feelings of fatigue in the back, legs, and core after a long day in the season are a yearly reminder that our summer activities do not prepare us for the demands of skiing or snowboarding. Unless you are a doing a dedicated ski or snowboard conditioning class, the muscles in your glutes, low back, deep core, and lateral quads will weaken relative to the muscles you are using for biking, hiking, or running.