Skiing & snowboarding safety

Hundreds of thousands of people are injured each year while participating in winter sports. Skiers and snowboarders are no exception.

Health professionals say some injuries can be avoided, especially those that stem from copying tricks seen on TV that are performed by trained professionals.

“They see everybody on TV doing these huge jumps and tricks, and so it’s real important for kids and even adults to have helmets in case you do fall, and even the slightest fall, you don’t think you hit your head very hard and it could result in a concussion or another type of injury,” Kate Hosking of Marquette General Therapies and U.P. Sports Medicine said. “A key thing is to check your bindings to make sure that they fit right for your boots and that the settings are not too high or too low, because if they are too low, the bindings can pop off when you are skiing”.

Cold muscles are more injury-prone than warm ones, so doctors advise warming up prior to any type of winter activity. If you do happen to fall, it’s always best to get checked out right away.

If you live in the area, Marquette General Therapies and U.P. Sports Medicine offers free injury screenings. You can go to uprehab.com or call (906) 228-2595 to find out more.