How Do I Get My Body Ready for Ski Season?
Published October 19, 2026
Start a few weeks before your first ski day and work on three things: leg strength (especially your hamstrings and hips, not just your quads), balance on one leg, and enough cardio that the thin air doesn't flatten you by lunch. Two or three short sessions a week, built up gradually, will make opening day feel a lot better.
And opening day is close. Keystone's website lists its opening day as "ASAP", Breckenridge's opening day is November 6, and Copper Mountain's opening day is November 6, too. Weather permitting, as always.
Dr. Justin Schoefernacker, one of our chiropractors, played college baseball and dealt with back injuries that standard care didn't fix, so he learned the hard way that prepping beats rehabbing. Here's what he'd tell a friend heading up I-70 this season.
Why does the first ski day hurt so much?
Skiing is basically a long wall sit with surprises.
Ski boots tip your shins forward, so your knees and hips stay bent for hours, and your thighs do most of the work of holding you up and absorbing every bump. That kind of work (muscles holding and lowering you under load, rather than lifting) is exactly what most of us don't train in the off-season.
Add a stiff low back from that crouched stance, plus a couple of hours in the car each way, and you get the classic Monday-morning shuffle. That deep thigh soreness usually shows up the next day and often peaks a day or two after that. The prep work above is what keeps it mild. When it does hit, easy movement helps it clear: a short walk or easy bike ride the next day, gentle stretching, plenty of water and a good night's sleep. It usually fades within a few days. If it's still hanging on after that, come see us, and we'll work out the tight spots so you're ready for your next trip.
Annoying? Yes. Dangerous? Not usually. The bigger concern is that tired legs don't protect your knees very well.
What should I actually train before ski season?
The knee is the big one. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), knee injuries are very common in skiing, particularly ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries, and shoulder injuries happen a lot because people reach out to break a fall.
There's some encouraging research here. A Swedish study gave teenage ski racers a program focused on core stability and neuromuscular control (think balance and leg control), with a big emphasis on being equally strong on both legs. During the program years, 3.9% of skiers had an ACL injury, compared with 8.1% in the years before. To be fair, those were young racers, not weekend skiers in their 40s. But the idea carries over: strong, balanced legs give you a better shot at staying upright.
Here's a simple starting list. Pick a few, do them two or three times a week, and add a little each week:
Wall sits. Start with whatever you can hold and build up from there.
Slow squats, taking about three seconds on the way down.
Single-leg work: split squats, slow step-downs off a stair, or just standing on one leg while you brush your teeth (it's harder than it sounds).
Bridges and hip hinges for your glutes and hamstrings. Strong hamstrings help keep your shin from sliding forward, which takes some strain off the ACL.
Side planks and lateral lunges, because skiing happens side to side, not just front to back.
Cardio that has some climb to it: stairs, an incline treadmill, a bike, or one of the trails at Cherry Creek State Park before the snow sticks around.
Sharp pain (not just effort) means stop and get it looked at. A tweaky knee in October tends to become a real problem in January.
What should I do on the mountain?
Most of this is boring, and it works.
Warm up. The AAOS suggests warming up for 3 to 5 minutes, then taking a couple of slow ski runs before you go hunting for moguls.
Drink water. The air up there is dry, and even mild dehydration affects endurance.
Get your bindings set by a ski shop for your height, weight and ability, and wear a helmet.
Be skeptical of "one last run." The AAOS notes that many ski injuries happen at the end of the day, when people are tired and push for one more lap.
When should I get a ski ache checked?
Sore thighs two days after your first day are normal. These aren't:
A pop in the knee followed by swelling, or a knee that gives way when you turn
Pain that's sharp, gets worse, or isn't settling after a week or so
Back pain that shoots down your leg, or comes with numbness or weakness
Any hit to the head followed by headache, confusion or nausea
For a head injury or a knee that swells right away, go to urgent care or the ER (emergency room) first. Those need imaging and a medical doctor before anything else.
One thing we see every winter is pain at the back of the heel or Achilles from boots that press in the wrong spot. If that lingers, shockwave therapy is one of the tools we use for stubborn tendon pain, usually alongside strengthening work. A British Journal of Sports Medicine review found evidence that it helps with stubborn Achilles and heel pain.
Ski season prep FAQ
How early should I start getting ready for ski season?
A month or so before your first day is a good target, but even two weeks of leg and balance work is better than nothing. Start easy and add a little each week so you don't make yourself sore before the lifts even open.
Is it normal to be sore after the first ski day?
Yes. Thigh and glute soreness that shows up the next day and fades over a few days is normal. Sharp joint pain, swelling, or soreness that isn't getting better after several days is worth getting checked.
Can chiropractic and acupuncture help me get ready for ski season?
Yes, and they work best together. Chiropractic adjustments help your spine, hips and knees move the way they should, so both legs share the load evenly on the hill. Acupuncture helps calm tight, overworked muscles and supports recovery between ski days. Pair them with the strength and balance work above, and you'll head into opening day moving better and bouncing back faster.
If your back or knees are already complaining just thinking about opening day, come see us before the season gets going. We'll check how your hips, knees and spine are moving and build a plan to get you ready, which may include chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture. You can book online, and we're right off Arapahoe Rd in Centennial.