Health
My Knee Replacement Story
Conditioning Makes A Huge Difference To This Skier’s Post-Op Experience. A lifetime of abusing my body never really bothered me until it did. Coming down a blue trail five miles long at Park City, UT, one of my all time favorites because of the killer views, suddenly posed a problem. My knees were killing me. The pain traveled into my[Read More…]
Sometimes Our Bodies Need Help
There are times when we can benefit from some extra help, especially as we age or develop chronic medical conditions. Nick Manley, a remarkable athlete with a degenerative neurological condition, swears by the Ski-Mojo knee bracing system. The product’s shock absorbing springs reduce the load on his knees, allowing him to continue to race and ski for the entire day[Read More…]
Short Swings!
Have you ever been in or near an avalanche? Big Mountain skiers everywhere are accustomed to hearing and feeling the reverberations of bombs and other technologies used to dislodge slides, making the areas safer. A few years ago, Taos added a chair to improve accessibility to Kachina Peak. Last week, following inspection by patrol, a slide there killed two. At the[Read More…]
Focus On Conditioning: Still Time For This Season
[Editor Note: This article was contributed by Peter Schmaus, MD, Orthopedic Spine and Sports Medicine Center, Paramus, NJ. and Senior Attending Physician, Hackensack University Medical Center. SeniorsSkiing.com is very grateful to have his view on conditioning.] Pay Attention To Body Tuning Before You Hit The Slopes Or Trails. Many of us pay more attention to our equipment than the most important equipment[Read More…]
Should I Take An Early Season Lesson?
[Editor Note: From time to time, we’re going to dip into our extensive archives for a story that might be useful, interesting, or entertaining. Here’s one from 2014 from correspondent Harriet Wallis.] Starting right sticks all season. My friend says the same thing every winter. She says wants to take a lesson as soon as there’s more snow on the[Read More…]
Can You Ski Yourself Into Shape?
There Are Other, Fun Ways To Get Ready Besides Hitting The Gym. One of the myths I hear from people at the beginning of the ski season is that they can “ski themselves into shape.” They have not really done any preparation for the ski season and feel that they just have to start skiing, and their ski legs will[Read More…]
Conditioning Can Beat Sarcopenia: Pay Attention Seniors
Sarcopenia Weakens Muscles In Aging Bodies, But It Can Be Managed. If you’ve been lax about starting, continuing, or expanding your current conditioning program, it is time to get with the program. Many seniors are susceptible to weakened muscle as a natural effect of aging. When was the last time you picked up trash barrel, laundry basket, your bike, kayak,[Read More…]
Product Review: Company Based On Tea’s Cancer-Fighting Properties
Tea Offers Flavor, Enjoyment, And Health. Let’s make it clear. Tea cannot cure cancer. But the chemical make up of many teas can be part of a healthy anti-cancer lifestyle. It’s not hocus pocus. Tea is a most studied anti-cancer plant. Check out what the National Cancer Institute says about tea’s anti-cancer benefits: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/tea-fact-sheet But let’s start at the beginning.[Read More…]
Cycling Efficiency For Seniors
Bottom Line: Knoweth Thy Limits, Wise One. As I was pounding the rocks of Laurel Mountain on the mountain bike with a group of younger riders here in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Laurel Highlands, I was thinking strategy. At 63 years old, I am still in pretty good shape but the older I get, I start thinking about the old adage “age[Read More…]
Sarcopenia: Insidious Muscle Loss Can Be Managed.
It Can Happen, But Don’t Despair. Read On. Sarcopenia or muscle wasting is a condition which affects almost everyone starting about 50 years of age. Do you have it? Look in the mirror: Your once proud biceps and pectorals have sagged, your pants are falling down, no more butt, your legs look skinny. What looks like loose skin is really[Read More…]
Seriously Injured? High Fives Has A Program For You
A Community That Can Help You To Get Back To Athleticism. What if you suffer a life altering brain, spinal or physically limiting injury and want to ski again? Where do you turn? One place is the High Fives Foundation started by Ray Tuscany who was a ski racer who broke his back. After his injury, he founded High Fives[Read More…]
XC Skiing: Older, Wiser, And Cheaper
A Veteran Ski Instructor Finds Nordic Matches His Senior Skiing Philosophy. Older, wiser, cheaper, what is this about? It reflects on what happens with age for most, but let’s put it into a skiing context. Having taught skiing since 1971, I’ve discovered these are the three adjectives that seem to reflect on one’s skiing philosophy with the passing of time.[Read More…]
Shape Up: How To Get Fit For The Season
Progressive Exercises From Easy To Difficult Can Help You Tone Up. Okay, it’s late October, and you’ve put this off long enough. You need to limber up for the upcoming snow season. Without topping up your muscles and stretching those ligaments, you can hurt yourself and have a very short season indeed. With some daily or weekly fitness routines, you[Read More…]
Fitness Focus: The Essential Down Dog
Here’s One Of The Most Important Stretches An Active Senior Can Do. [Editor Note: Our summer series Fitness Focus is taking a distinctive turn toward several important yoga positions. We’ve highlighted the Squat, the Plank, and now the Down Dog. We are a bit biased toward these poses because we have experienced personal progress and various muscle pain relief by[Read More…]
Fitness Focus: Plank, Plank, Plank
This Pose Is Considered The Simplest, Most Effective Core Strengthener. “Plank, plank, plank,” says Jan, the exercise instructor at the head of our class. After an hour of kick boxing, we start the floor exercises to end the session. We get into plank position as she intones, “Plank, plank, plank”. The seconds roll by. High plank or Phalakasana pose. The most glorious[Read More…]
Fitness Focus: Do You Know Squat?
Squat Lately? Try It Every Day For A Week And See What Happens. Editor Note: This week marks the beginning of our summer exercise series, Fitness Focus, where we will highlight one particular exercise, activity, stretch, or pose that leads to increased strength and flexibility. Our first is the ubiquitous, simple, and under-appreciated squat. Did you know the squat sit, or the[Read More…]
What’s Biting You? Part Two: Treatment And Prevention
[Editor Note: This is Part Two of a two-part article on Lyme disease by Steve Hines, outdoorsman and Wilderness First Responder. Click here for Part One: What’s Biting You?] Treatment The best treatment for Lyme disease bacteria is antibiotics. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “Patients treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually[Read More…]
What’s Biting You? Lyme Is Now A National Problem
If You Are Walking In The Woods This Spring, Be Wary Of Ticks. [Editor Note: This is the first of a two part article on Lyme disease by Steve Hines, an avid outdoorsman and certified Wilderness First Responder.] Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected black-legged or deer tick. Lyme disease has become a nation-wide epidemic with[Read More…]
Dermatologist on Sunscreens and Skiing
Memo to Skiers: Always use a “broad- spectrum” sunscreen with a SPF of at least 30. Commercial sunscreens are divided into two classes: physical and chemical. Physical sunscreens contain Zinc oxide and titanium oxide. They deflect ultraviolet energy from the skin by scattering ultraviolet light. All other sunscreen compounds are “chemical,” which act by absorbing ultraviolet light and re-emitting the[Read More…]
Walk-In Orthopedic Clinic Opens Near Salt Lake City’s Resorts
Nobody wants to get hurt while on vacation, but sometimes it happens. Did you crash at one of the Wasatch Front resorts, think you were okay, but later decide to get checked? This new after-hours clinic treats what was hurt while skiing during the day. The University of Utah Health Care Orthopedic Center is one of only a handful of academic[Read More…]
Senior Skiers: Take Care in the Sun!
Advice From a Dermatologist Nordic Skier. The sun is by far and away the most common cause of both (1) skin cancer and (2) skin aging. More than two million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually in the USA. Caught early, most skin cancers can be removed, leaving a cosmetically acceptable scar. In more advanced cases, valued anatomic parts[Read More…]
Adapting your workout to your age.
Stamina, skiing and senior skiers. Have you noticed that the older you get, you have to work out harder to maintain an ever-decreasing level of conditioning? Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know all the reasons but the reality is vigorous work-outs just delay the inevitable. As we get older our: Bodies aren’t as flexible; Bones are more brittle; Muscles don’t recover[Read More…]
Can Alternative Medicine Help You?
A Tragic Accident Turns A Ski Racer Into A Believer And A Healer. Siri Wieringa was born into a skiing family. It’s in her genes. By college she was an accomplished ski racer. But a horrific on-course accident tossed her down the hill, flipping her over and over, breaking up one side of her body and terrorizing her brain. When[Read More…]
Most Active Seniors Probably Have This Problem
But, There’s A Free Miracle Drug You Can Take. At the risk of sounding like a spam email headline, I have re-discovered a miracle drug. It’s completely free, it acts quickly, and it can be found anywhere and everywhere. It’s a drug that can directly change your life for the better. I say re-discovered because I knew about this drug,[Read More…]
