Preparing Your Body for Skiing: How to Reduce Injury Risk Before You Go

At Wimbledon Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic, we regularly support individuals and families across Wimbledon and South West London as they prepare for ski holidays. Many people ski just once a year, which means the body is suddenly exposed to long days on the slopes, fatigue, cold temperatures and high joint loads.

This article explains how to prepare your body for skiing, reduce injury risk, and know what to do if something doesn’t feel right, so you can enjoy your holiday with confidence rather than concern

Skiing Is Physically Demanding (Even If You’re Generally Fit)

Skiing often feels effortless when it’s going well, but it places very specific demands on the body that don’t always show up in day-to-day life or the gym.

Skiing requires:

• Strong, fatigue-resistant leg muscles
• Good hip, knee and ankle control
• Balance on constantly changing surfaces
• Quick reactions to slips, ice and other skiers
• Endurance over multiple hours, day after day

Even people who are generally fit can struggle if they haven’t prepared for these particular demands.

Simple Preparation Makes a Big Difference

You don’t need an intense or complicated training programme to prepare for skiing. A small amount of focused preparation goes a long way.

Build Leg Endurance

Skiing is repetitive. Your quadriceps, glutes and calves work continuously throughout the day, often in sustained positions.

Helpful exercises include:

• Wall sits
• Squats or sit-to-stands
• Step-ups
• Calf raises

Focus on control and endurance rather than heavy weights.

Improve Balance and Single-Leg Control

Skiing challenges balance constantly, especially when tired.

Simple ways to prepare include:

• Single-leg balance while brushing your teeth
• Controlled lunges
• Step-downs from a low step

This improves joint control and reaction time, which are particularly important for knee injury prevention.

Don’t Overlook Cardiovascular (CV) Fitness

Cardiovascular fitness is often overlooked in ski preparation, but it plays a major role in fatigue and injury risk.

When CV fitness is lower:

• You fatigue earlier in the day
• Muscle control drops sooner
• Reaction times slow
• Decision-making becomes less reliable

Effective ski-specific CV preparation can include:

• Brisk walking, particularly on inclines
• Cycling or spin-style sessions
• Rowing
• Short interval circuits that mimic ski bursts

Even 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times per week, in the weeks before travel can help you ski with better control for longer (even though we all should be doing this anyway!).

In our pre-ski preparation sessions, we often blend CV work with strength and balance exercises so the body learns to stay stable under fatigue, not just when fresh.

Warm Up Every Morning on the Slopes

Cold muscles don’t absorb force as well.

A short 5 minute warm-up before your first run can make a real difference:

• Hip circles
• Knee bends
• Gentle torso twists
• Arm swings

This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce injury risk.

Why Strength Symmetry Matters in Skiing

Skiing places high demands on both legs, often for several hours at a time. If one side is weaker, slower to react, or less stable, the body compensates and injury risk increases.

This is particularly relevant if you:

• Have had a previous knee, ankle or hip injury
• Feel stronger or more confident on one side
• Notice one leg tiring earlier than the other

Even small side-to-side differences can become magnified on the slopes, especially later in the day.

Using Screening to Prepare with Confidence

As part of our ski preparation support, we often use objective strength and control screening, including Kinvent force and strength testing, to help people understand how ready their body is for skiing.

This type of screening allows us to:

• Identify side-to-side strength differences
• Assess single-leg control and stability
• Target specific areas before travel

For some people, this provides reassurance. For others, it highlights small gaps that can be addressed with a short, focused programme rather than general training.

Importantly, screening is about understanding your body and preparing it appropriately.

Fatigue Management Is Part of Preparation

One of the biggest risk factors for ski injuries isn’t lack of strength, it’s fatigue.

Long days, altitude, cold temperatures and excitement all contribute to tired muscles and slower reactions. Preparing your mindset is just as important as preparing your body:

• Take regular breaks
• Eat and hydrate well
• Be willing to stop before exhaustion sets in
• Remember that skiing well matters more than skiing late

Fatigue is often highest at the end of the day, when many injuries occur.

Preparing for the “What If” Moments

Even with good preparation, skiing involves risk. Knowing what to do if something happens can prevent panic and poor decisions.

Many people worry:

• “Is this serious?”
• “Can I ski tomorrow?”
• “I can still walk, does that mean it’s fine?”

Having clear guidance before you travel makes these moments far less stressful.

A Helpful Resource to Take with You

Because these questions come up so often, we have attached a downloadable guide to help people decide what to do if they pick up an injury while skiing. Click Here to download the guide. 

We recommend downloading it before you go, or saving the website page, so it’s available if you need it rather than trying to make decisions while tired, cold or anxious.

Preparing Well Means Enjoying More Skiing

Pre-ski preparation isn’t about training like a professional athlete. It’s about giving your body the capacity to cope with the demands of the slopes and knowing how to respond if something doesn’t feel right.

With a little preparation, better fatigue resistance, and the right guidance, most people ski with more confidence, recover better, and enjoy their holiday far more.

If you return from skiing with pain, swelling or uncertainty, early advice can prevent small issues becoming bigger problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should I prepare for skiing?

Ideally a few months before but even 2-3 weeks of focused preparation can make a noticeable difference.

Do I need cardiovascular fitness for skiing?

Yes. Better CV fitness delays fatigue, improves control and reduces injury risk later in the day.

Is screening useful before a ski trip?

Screening can be particularly helpful if you’ve had previous injuries, feel asymmetrical, or want reassurance before travelling. As we know that the more even you are side to side the less your injury risk is.

Is warming up really necessary on holiday?

Yes. Cold muscles are more vulnerable to strain and injury. A short warm-up is one of the easiest prevention tools.

What should I do if something feels wrong while skiing?

Stop, protect the area, and reassess once you’re warm. If symptoms persist or confidence in the joint drops, seek medical advice.