News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters Country is enjoying perhaps its best time of year - the crisp, glorious autumn, with mild temperatures, golden light and an invigorating chill in the air of a morning.
But that chill presages the coming of winter - and now is the time to get your body ready for it.
Winter weather can be hard on the body, especially if you are unprepared for it. The American Chiropractic Association notes that, "Simply walking outside in the freezing weather without layers of warm clothing can intensify older joint problems and cause a great deal of pain. As muscles and blood vessels contract to conserve the body's heat, the blood supply to extremities is reduced. This lowers the functional capacity of many muscles, particularly among the physically unfit. Preparation for an outdoor winter activity, including conditioning the areas of the body that are most vulnerable, can help avoid injury and costly healthcare bills."
For active Sisters Country folks, winter isn't a time to hole up - it's a time to get out and ski, both Nordic and alpine, snowshoe and hike when the snow cover allows. And somebody's got to chop the wood and shovel the snow off the deck, right? Fortunately, there's still plenty of time to get yourself in shape for winter's demands.
Khiva Beckwith of Sisters Athletic Club (SAC) recommends getting started right now on a program to get in shape for the ski season.
"A good, I would say, six to eight weeks before the ski season (is optimal)," she says. "That's the biggest mistake people make - they wait too long to prepare their bodies for ski season, which is what causes injuries."
SAC and Therapeutic Associates will be offering a clinic on winter sports preparation in November, but there's no reason not to get going right now.
Beckwith emphasizes lower-body and core work for injury prevention: leg press, lunges (including lateral lunges) and single-leg squats are all good ski-prep exercises. Flexibility is important and should be part of your pre-season training. Core strength and stability is critical for injury prevention - and performance - so core work needs attention.
Often overlooked or given short shrift is the importance of aerobic fitness. Winter sports and activities demand a lot of your heart and lungs, and it's a good idea to push yourself into optimal shape at the start of the season. Every skier is familiar with that gassed-out feeling just before the last run of the day. That's the one where fatigue gets you and injuries happen.
No matter how well you prepare, it's unwise to take on the first ski day of the season like it's the Olympics, going too hard on the slopes or putting in too many miles on the trail.
"Easing into the season would be good," Beckwith says.
Warming up thoroughly is always a good idea, and it is especially critical for outdoor activities in the cold. It's all too easy to neglect to warm up before heading out to chop the wood or shovel snow - and you pay for it by throwing out your back or tweaking your shoulder, and off to the physical therapist you go.
Putting in some extra sweat now will help you make your winter season more fun - and increase your odds of being injury-free to enjoy the bounty of the Sisters Country way of life through the chilly season.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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