You gave it your all on the slopes and now it’s time to relax, we’ve got exactly what you need!
Yes you heard right, after a day on the slopes, we recommend a sports session! But this is not your usual sports session because the goal isn’t intense physical effort, but rather to gently stretch your muscles to avoid any aching the next day.
The best activities would be stretching or a yoga session to work on your flexibility because these options not only relieve tension in your muscles, they also prepare your body for your next day of skiing.
Your well-being comes first
Many skiers experience aching muscles after a day of skiing or during their holiday. Stretching is a great way to relax both mind and body and ease any muscle pain.
A nice bath
Skiing and snowboarding are particularly tough on the thigh muscles. After a great day on the slopes, your thigh muscles will need some pampering so that you can get back out there as soon as the ski lifts open the next day! There’s no better way to do that than a nice hot bath. The heat will release any tension from your muscles. As such, don’t hesitate to increase the temperature to 40 degrees to really maximise this effect on your muscles. Finally, if you’d like to get the very most out of the benefits of a hot bath, end with a cold shower on your legs. The cold will prevent any loss in calcium around the muscles and helps them to regenerate more easily. The cold also has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Stretch
When your muscles have undergone extreme effort, make sure you take the time for some gentle stretching, with these short exercises of less than 30 seconds. In an upright position, pull your foot back slowly towards your buttocks to stretch out your thigh muscle. When you’ve reached your maximum position, hold it for 30 seconds and then do the same on the other leg. Stay in an upright position, put your foot up on a chair in front of you or table if you’re particularly flexible, and lean over forwards slowly, to touch your foot with your hand. Don’t go too far. When you feel you have reached the maximum level for you, even if you don’t touch your foot, hold that position for 30 seconds. Do the same with your other calf muscle.
Give yourself a massage
You’ve most likely seen athletes rushing to get a massage after a match or physical effort. Muscle massage is a key part of physical performance because it allows you to recover more quickly after intense physical exercise. A massage helps muscles to relax and relieves muscular pain. Massage your thighs, front and back, down the length of the muscle, and if you’re with a group, why not massage each other! Nothing is stopping you also massaging your calf muscles, buttocks and even your back. Muscle massage should be deep and energetic and it can sometimes even be painful when the muscles already ache after exercise.
You could also call upon one of the massage therapists in Morzine to help you relieve muscle tension. Many of them are mobile and can come directly to you, so you can stay in the comfort of your accommodation.
Lastly…
If you’re feeling tired, if your legs feel heavy and painful, make sure you rest for half a day, make yourself a nutritional meal with complex carbohydrates and drink plenty of water. You’ll be raring to go for your next session the following day. Don’t overdo it on the alcohol (we’re talking to you, fans of génépi liqueur), because it will leave you dehydrated.
And finally, make sure you get enough sleep. A good night’s sleep helps with recovery and you’ll be more than ready to take on another day of skiing!
Thematics
