One does not simply ski a whole season and not stretch after skiing.

JAHBRADOR

JAHBRADOR

Active member
I skied about 90 days last year and did not stretch off after once. Result? Chronic lower back pain due to my hamstrings being retarded tight. My leg could not even reach 45 degrees off the ground. It has taken me a summer of extremely painful stretching for 20-30 mins each day and a fair few physio sessions to get to a reasonable flexibility. 10 mins out of your day to stretch before and after skiing is nothing.

DONT BE RETARDED LIKE ME. DO STRETCH.

 
I'm the exact same way. My knee doctor said I'm the least flexible person he has ever seen
 
How many days/season you skiing doe? OP said 90+.

I try to stretch after skiing, I really do. Its just after skiing I'm so tired, lazy, hungry, (insert next bullshit excuse here)...
 
Everyone that says they dont stretch is either young or doesnt ski enough to feel the effects. OP os speaking the truth!
 
I ski 100-150 days a year. Never stretch before or after. Half the time I am half in the bag.

Stretching is for the weak.

So are helmets.
 
i usually stretch a bit before skiing but rarely afterwards... and yeh i ski 120-130 days a year and i'm getting on a bit in years. I guess i usually have to walk a good ways back to my flat etc so it's a gradual warm down, not just hopping in the car so maybe that's why it's never been an issue.

everyone has different issues though, both my VMOs ache constantly for no obvious reason, even if i have a couple months off skiing.
 
I saw Eric Pollard get off the lift once and go straight in to a good 5 minute of stretching before he made one turn. And this was just fucking around early season on Palmer.
 
Always stretch after skiing, I tried to stretch all the time, after my crossfit training, hockey game, skiing, soccer. It take you 5 minutes and you avoid pain later. Plus i'll be sking more days this winter, so I'll be stretching like a mofo
 
I tend to stretch before skiing each day but not well enough I don't think as I also feel the lower back pain, this season i', going to make sure I do, no way I want to become a cripple.
 
stretching is good fo you! i dont do it enough. half my body is flexible and the other half isnt it's weird.
 
i ski 25 - 30 days a year, stretch regularly and still have gnarly knee problems.

i think i'm doing it wrong.
 
I wouldn't recommend stretching heavily before skiing. You weaken the muscles by stretching. Do a light warm up and put a little tension on the muscles. Do a few lunges, calf raises and deadlift with your skis. Do these before you put your boots on.

After you ski, stretch whatever is tight. Stretch your feet and ankles, quads (front of thigh), glutes (butt), calves, and hamstrings for the lower body. I'm not going to recommend and specific stretches because we are all different. Stretch and massage what feels good. Keep pushing yourself, but if it hurts stop what you are doing.

I also recommend you pay good attention to your back, abs, and traps (muscles at the base of your neck). Your back is undergoing a lot of impact when you are skiing, unless you are carving down groomers all day. Your traps and abs will get tense as they are responsible for your balance while skiing. Stretch and massage what feels good.

If you stretch properly you can avoid injury and being sore the next day.
 
i skied about 90 days last year and did some stretching which i think helped. we also had a hot tub as well which helped a lot too. Im more about stretching before skiing than after.
 
EPiC back pain! shit sucks! i had it from march-now. gotta be stretching no that skiing is my primary activity
 
Same here. I Skied the whole season without stretching, and then when I started summer basketball my back hurt like a bitch. I went to physical therapy but I didnt really continue my stretches after that, so hopefully i dint screw myself.
 
I'd prioritize some strength training and a light warmup way above stretching if you're worried about back pain...
 
I ski about 100+ days a season and I don't stretch;I'm fine, but this year I'm gonna stretch because during the summer I injured my tailbone and I don't want the pain to come back mid season.
 
Yeah, i don't stretch, but I am sore as hell the next day. Which is really stupid of me. I should definitely start.
 
I make sure to stretch everything at least once per week and always remember to do your splits stretches. When I started doing that, I stopped getting those little groin tweaks completely. It also helps that I'm flexible as fuck to begin with. I've never not been able to touch the ground when I bend over.
 
Actually, scientifically speaking, stretching is a highly controversial topic. Some scientist say you should stretch after workout's, some say you shouldn't. However, it is clear that it is not scientifically proven that stretching reduces injury or soreness. It is advised to be used intuitively, meaning that if it works for you, you should do it. Here in the off season, I train about 15 hours a week for triathlon, and I do not ever stretch, as I have never experienced any positive effects from it, rather I would sometimes feel "loose" in my joints and tendons the next day. However, with skiing, I do stretch sometimes, it really depends how I feel. It's hard to explain, but I just know when I have to stretch after a day of skiing.

I would recommend that you try what works for you, so if you had back pain after a season, then definitely try stretching and see if it helps.

I would never recommend stretching before skiing, it weakens your muscles, and the elasticity in your joints and tendons, so don't do it.
 
i stretch almost everyday when im skiing, little before, little after, only like 5 minutes of touching my toes and stuff, but if i dont my muscles get really tight really fast
 
Stretch on the lift! What else you can do?

I hold my tips 10 seconds each, a few times a day, and it helped my flexibility a lot.
 
I have been skiing for 20+ years without stretching and I am not fine... TIGHT LEGS = DEATH OF YOUR LOWER BACK.
 
easily the most valuable thing anyone in this thread has said.

warm up before, stretch after. stretching may or may not help with pain/discomfort, however doing so will definitely improve overall range of motion which helps prevent muscular injury to a degree. as stated, we are all different, you need to do what works for you

strengthening the core muscles from which movement stems is also huge. saves you in skiing and life in general
 
Also, you're going to want to do dynamic stretches before (moving stretches) and static after (still stretches). So, before you get your gear all on, kick your own butt in the parking lot, high knees, etc.

Soo, I play tennis and I was at this camp. When we stretched I couldn't touch my toes. Afterwards, one of the coaches there told me that not having flexible hamstrings is one of the major sources of back problems. I was shocked. So, STRETCH YOUR HAMSTRINGS. Do it until you can palm the ground and I guarantee, you won't have any back problems.
 
actually,yes. on water ramps, and anyone who have tried water ramps know that its a LOT harder for the body than normal park skiing. and to the guys saying in you backyard, well I did a lot of urban too and urban is also a lot harder for the body than park skiing so yeah suck it
 
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