ThirdAge News
Skiing isn't only for the young and flexible. It's a fun way to build leg strength, and recent developments have made it much more knee-friendly.
Before you hit the slopes, hit the hot tub.
"It's a passive warm-up," says Robert Hintermeister, Ph.D., expert in biomechanics and exercise science. "When your muscles are warm, they're more flexible and less prone to injury."
After your soak in the tub, spend 10 minutes stretching your legs, focusing on your quadriceps, hamstrings, groin and hip flexors. If you take a break from skiing, spend a few minutes stretching before heading back up the mountain.
The straight skis that you're familiar with are last century's technology. Rental shops now offer shaped skis that are wider in front and back and narrower near the bindings. These skis make it easy to turn without pressuring your joints.
Vermont ski pro Scott Gurst gives A Pro's Assessment of Parabolics aka Super Side Cut Skis in Hyperski online magazine.
Shaped skis call for a whole new technique. Formerly, skiing centered around the snowplow and twisting your legs to make parallel turns, moves that put a lot of stress on the knee joint. The new PMTS (Primary Movements Teaching System) Direct Parallel, coupled with shaped skis, allows you to make turns through subtle adjustments to your body weight.
"Because it's easy on your joints and leg muscles, people can ski this way for hours without getting overly tired," says Harald Harb, inventor of the technique and author of several books on the subject. "It's also faster and more intuitive to learn, and most people pick it up the first day."
For more information on the technique, check out Harb Ski Systems. The Web site offers animated online lessons customized to your level.
