We have talked about getting ski fit before your holiday but what about after a day on the hill? To keep your body primed for the powder it is just as important to think about your recovery. This will make sure you are ready to tackle the mountain day in day out and dance like a diva at après. No one wants to miss happy hour due to a hobble so here are our holiday and seasonnaire friendly top tips for recovery.
Warm up and soothe your muscles with the glory of hot water. If your chalet looks like this….
Who doesn’t love a bit of luxury?
….then enjoy a good long relax in your hot tub, while soaking up the mountain view, before taking a visit to your pine scented sauna.
If you are a seasonnaire and the bathroom you share with nine other people looks more like this….
Classic seasonnaire storage.
…then stay in the shower for as long as your hot water lasts. For all of you in the middle a nice hot bath will work wonders on your aches and pains.
Stretch. Yes this may feel like a wildly unsuitable use of your time when the mountains and après await but remember – skiing is a sport and doing some simple stretching will really help your body recover and be ready to hit the slopes again tomorrow.
…and relax.
Try to focus on your calves, hamstrings, hips and quads. Downward facing dog will stretch out your calves and shoulders at the same time – two birds one stretch. A classic forward bend or touching your toes will ease out your hamstrings. The one-legged quadriceps stretch favoured by runners is perfect for easing out your upper legs. Finally try gentle lunge stretches to avoid tightness in your hips.
Rehydrate and I do not mean on chalet wine. Because it is so cold on the mountain it is easy to forget that you may still be working up a sweat while skiing (and climbing the steps up to lifts!) and you will definitely be dehydrating in that lovely dry mountain air. So drink lots of water before you hit up après – and during it if you are really good.
Dry your stuff. Hang up your ski gear and set your boots up to dry overnight. There is nothing worse than waking up and realising the kit you left at the front door now look like this….
“I’ll meet you up there – just have to dig out my boots…”
So think Boy Scout and ‘always be prepared’! If you have got boot heaters then make sure you use them but do be careful getting over enthusiastic and putting high tech kit too near to heaters. The only thing worse than a ski boot that looks like a snowman is a melted one!
Finally enjoy a well earned Vin Chaud. It’s soothing heat and the vitamin C boost you will get from the token orange slice will finish off your post ski recovery nicely. Have two and you will definitely cease to feel the aches in your legs, although beware after three you may cease to feel your legs altogether.
Nutritious and delicious…
So there you have it, our fail safe guide to recovering after a day on the slopes. What is your favourite post ski recovery trick? We would love to hear so let us know in the comments below.
