Hello
seasonal travelers and eager snowsports enthusiasts! The time has come
for your annual winter pilgrimage to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Your
bags are packed, your ski and snowboard rentals reserved, your hotel
rooms booked, your anticipation overflowing. Maximize your experience in
Breckenridge this year, and every year, by integrating the following
four health and safety focused habits into your skiing and snowboarding
routine.
1. Take it easy
You have three days to get in your Rocky Mountain turns for the year,
maybe four or five. If you are fit and motivated, you will be able to
spend 30 hours on your skis or board during your vacation. This limited
timeframe means that every run, every minute, every turn is of premium
value and significant importance. And yet, we are encouraging you to
take it easy? What gives?!
Well, the thought is that by easing into things — on, as well as off,
the hill — you will be able to feel stronger, last longer, and remain
safe and healthy throughout your trip. Rather than accelerating into
your ski and snowboard routine at Mach Looney, and increasing the
probability of headaches and hospital bills, why not start your trip off
at a smooth pace? Try taking a half day or more of “easier” runs
before tackling advanced terrain and intense maneuvers.
Easing into advanced terrain helps retrain your muscles to
automatically find that sweet balance spot on your boards, so when
terrain does throw you off, it’s easier to regain balance. After skiing
or riding hard, remember to rest: Think about turning off the alarm and
relaxing for an extra half an hour in that cozy mountain bed before
hitting the slopes. Most injuries occur when people push themselves;
when your muscles are a little tired, your turns can get sloppy, and
your focus wanes, setting up a “perfect storm” for injury-prone falls.
Stop skiing and riding before the shadows grow long (or if the light
becomes “flat,” which means you can’t see the moguls or drop-offs very
well) and enjoy the complete mountain town experience with all of the
extra energy you will have. Find your own way of staying relaxed
throughout the beginnings of your trip, and return home happier and
healthier than when you arrived.
Not
all sunscreens are created equal! Selecting a product that is
appropriate to your body’s needs and your athletic interests is
essential for avoiding sunburns.
2. Sun protection
According to dermatologist Dr. Cynthia Bailey, every 1,000 feet in
elevation gain corresponds to a 4% increase in harmful ultraviolet
radiation. In other words, when you are recreating at 10,000 feet, your
skin and eyes are exposed to 40% more harmful radiation from the sun
than they would be at sea level. Compounding this situation is that snow
has the remarkable property of reflecting up to 80% of the sun’s
energy, often straight back at the unknowing and sensitive-skinned
skier.
This is not to say that playing outside has to be harmful to our
bodies. Indeed, by selecting and wearing an appropriate set of
sunglasses and goggles, and consistently applying the correct sunscreen,
we can mitigate the harmful effects of the sun. Rather than returning
home looking like Rudolph with your nose so bright, select a sunscreen
that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide and protect your skin from
both UVA and UVB radiation. For your eyes, most opthamologists recommend
purchasing sunglasses or goggles that block at least 99% percent of UV
radiation. And, remember to replace those old lenses now to avoid
irritated eyes later!
3. Active warmups
Attaching 10-15 pounds of stiff plastic, cold metal, and bent timber
to your legs and sliding down frozen water isn’t an everyday experience
for most of our bodies. As such, our systems take on unusual stresses
during ski trips — stresses that can be reduced by an active daily
morning warmup. Take note: The days of toe touches and other static
stresses have passed! That’s right; the ideal and proper ski and
snowboard warmup will increase your heart rate and respiration and raise
the core temperature of the body. Check out this
video
warmup from the experts at Moji Fitness, or do your own web search and
create a low intensity routine to start your ski trip days. Your body
will thank you, and so will your skiing and riding!
4. Hydration
The higher we travel in our atmosphere, the lower the air
pressure. The lower the air pressure, the quicker moisture evaporates
from the surface of our skin and from our lungs themselves.
Breckenridge, ranging in elevations between 9,500 and 13,000 feet, draws
moisture from all places and all spaces. Further intensifying this
thirsty situation is the reality that Breck’s high alpine environment
often has low humidity, due to weather factors. The result of this
dehydrating duality is that people lose much more moisture in the
mountains than back home. Thankfully, this is an easy challenge to
overcome.
Simply put: If you want to continue to feel great and stay
safe, drink more water. One method to calculate how many ounces of water
you must drink in the mountains is to divide your weight in pounds by
two. For example, a person weighing 180 pounds would need to drink 90
ounces of water (just over 11 cups) a day to stay hydrated. On this
note, caffeinated, alcoholic, and sugary drinks all serve to reverse the
hydration process. For each of these type of fluids you choose to
drink, it is necessary to down an additional glass of water to avoid the
unhealthy effects of dehydration.
