A few minutes of simple exercise every day can prevent aches, pains, and career-shortening injuries.
BY DR. LESLIE DESROSIERS, PT, OCS, CSCS
W hy has it become the cultural norm in the snowsports industry to neglect warming up before a physically demanding workday? Most snow professionals know they should “warm up” before shoveling, ski- ing, lifting, and working on the hill. It only takes five to 10 minutes each morning to do so, yet most still skip it. Well, don’t! Whether your reason is “not enough time” or “I’ll loosen up as I go,” going from zero to full throttle without properly preparing your body increases your risk of injury, reduces physical per- formance, and accelerates wear-and-tear that can cut careers short. You’d never see an elite athlete in any sport enter competition without properly preparing first. A baseball pitch- er would never step onto the mound in the first inning without a total body neu- romuscular warm-up. A gymnast would never perform a floor routine without a complete warm-up to optimize move- ment, flexibility, and stability. This doesn’t just apply to elite ath- letes. A simple neuromuscular warm- up—a basic five-minute sequence is outlined in this article—is one of the fastest and most effective ways to pre- pare for working or sliding on snow, so you feel, move, and recover better, both today and long-term.
Ski instructor Rosa does a quick warm-up before going to work and feels great. Do what Rosa does.
WHY WE WAKE UP FEELING STIFF
decreased blood flow to muscles and reduced joint mobility. This results in stiffer, less elastic tissues that can get injured easily if loaded too abruptly. Add freezing cold temperatures, plus a mind that’s still waking up, and a seri- ous injury could be just a slip away. WHAT WARMING UP ACTUALLY DOES A neuromuscular warm-up, which could
When you sleep, the body relaxes and transitions into recovery mode. Heart rate and circulation slow down as the nervous system downshifts into a parasympathet- ic state. The spine decompresses, allowing intervertebral discs to absorb fluid, like a sponge sitting in water. This phase is great for healing and tissue repair, but it comes with a cost—
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