FITNESS - 5 HABITS TO ADD TO YOUR POST-SKI ROUTINE

FITNESS - 5 HABITS TO ADD TO YOUR POST-SKI ROUTINE
This article first appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of The Water Skier magazine, the official publication of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports. 
By nature, slalom skiers are creatures of habit. For example, think of how many skiers will only put on their gloves in a certain order, will only hold the handle with a specific color on the left side, or will only wear a specific swimsuit because he or she skied a personal best in it at some point.
Although you can argue that those behaviors can be beneficial for slalom skiing, as an athlete, I believe it is also important to consider the recovery habits you practice after a ski set.
So, what do I mean by “recovery habits?” 
In this case, I am talking about techniques that help to reduce muscle soreness, decrease overall inflammation, and get your body ready to ski again.
Here are five ideas to help you start thinking about your own post-ski recovery routine.
1. Drink lots of water
Water promotes muscle recovery and ligament and tendon health. Daily, you should drink a minimum of half of your body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 100 pounds, then you should drink a minimum of 50 ounces of water every day. 
2. Eat a healthy snack
Consuming a diet rich in natural, unprocessed foods and refueling your body with healthy carbohydrates, fat, and protein reduces inflammation and promotes muscle recovery. Although there are many healthy snack options, one is a handful of almonds and an apple.
3. Go to bed early
Did you know that your body spends the most time in recovery-mode when you are sleeping? That means that getting enough sleep has a huge impact on sports performance!
4. Practice yoga
Yoga can be a great way to mentally unwind and physically restore joint range of motion. One of my favorite YouTube yoga channels is called, “Yoga with Adriene.”
5. Foam roll tight muscles
Targeting stiff tissue with a foam roller or a lacrosse ball brings blood flow to a specific area and works to increase joint range of motion. Performed on a regular basis, these exercises help reduce the risk of injury.
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Megan Lambert, CSCS, can be found writing exercise programs and working as a snow ski instructor in Vail, Colo., this winter.