Alex's Journey

Sore Legs or Muscles After Snowboarding or Skiing?

Your typical day snowboarding or skiing may go from 2 hours to as many as 5! How many times a week or even month would you say you get that kind of exercise? Probably zero. Having sore quads, hamstrings, calves or lower back are the usual suspects after a day of intense exercise.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

This is the more technical term for waking up the morning after feeling sore. Generally you will feel this soreness 24 hours after intense exercise. Within about 2 to 3 days the discomfort will subside. Getting DOMS is actually a good thing, your muscles are letting you know they need rest to adapt and rebuild stronger.

How to prevent or reduce DOMS

Stretching can be a great way to relieve the stiffness of DOMS not to mention it works great for prevention. Getting a gym membership and becoming a regular can also prepare your muscles for intense exercise.  If you didn’t stretch or work your body up to this level of intensity, the quickest fixes are a Massage or Hot Bath.

Standing Quadriceps Stretch

Basic Leg Stretches

Standing Quadriceps Stretch

Stand near a wall or stationary object for balance, keeping your back straight lift your right foot towards your glutes, next use your right hand to hold the top of your foot and assist it up until your heel is near or touching your glutes, you should feel a pull on your quad. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat with your left leg.

Sitting Hamstrings Stretch

Sit on the floor with both legs out straight, Extend your arms and rech forward by bending at the waist as far as you can while keeping your knees completely straight. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.

Standing Calf Stretch

Face a wall and stand a foot away from it, extend one leg behind you, keeping both feet flat and your rear knee straight lean toward the wall until you feel the pull in the calf muscle of the rear leg. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat with your other leg.