Strengthen Your Ski Season with Village Medical Gym: Your Path to Injury Prevention and Peak Performance

As ski season approaches, athletes and enthusiasts alike begin preparing for the excitement of hitting the slopes. While many focus on their gear and technique, building muscle strength is one of the most crucial yet overlooked aspects of injury prevention and performance. At Village Medicine Seattle, we offer our Medical Gym, we are thrilled to offer cutting-edge fitness solutions that will prepare your body for winter sports.

We are excited to introduce you to the future of fitness: our Medical Gym membership and our revolutionary devices by BTL, including EMsculpt Neo, Emsella, and EMface—tools that accelerate muscle growth, improve recovery, and help you perform at your best.

The Importance of Injury Prevention: Strengthen Key Muscle Groups

Skiing places unique demands on your body, particularly your legs. Strengthening specific muscle groups—quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes—can significantly reduce the risk of injury and enhance performance on the slopes.

photo: Dr. Paul Miszczyszyn enjoying the Cloud 9 run at Whistler Blackcomb

Alongside using our advanced Emsculpt Neo technology, here are some effective exercises you can do at home to build strength:

1. Quadriceps

Your quadriceps stabilize your knees and absorb impact during skiing. Strengthening them can prevent ACL tears and knee sprains, common skiing injuries.

Home Exercises:

• Bodyweight Squats: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and lower into a squat as if sitting in a chair. Engage your quads as you rise back up. Repeat 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
• Lunges: Step forward with one leg and lower your hips until both knees are bent at about 90 degrees. Push back to the starting position and alternate legs. Perform 3 sets of 12 reps per leg.
• Wall Sits: Sit against a wall with your knees at a 90-degree angle and hold for 30-60 seconds, engaging your quads throughout. Repeat for 3 sets.

2. Hamstrings

Hamstrings are key to controlling knee movement and protecting ligaments. Strengthening them reduces the risk of ACL injuries and improves agility and control during skiing.

Home Exercises:

• Glute Bridge: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Lift your hips by engaging your hamstrings and glutes, then lower back down. Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
• Single-Leg Deadlifts: Stand on one leg, keeping the other slightly off the ground. Bend forward at the hips, extending the lifted leg backward. Engage your hamstrings as you return to the starting position. Complete 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg.
• Hamstring Curls with Stability Ball: Lie on your back with your heels on a stability ball. Lift your hips and roll the ball toward you using your hamstrings. Return to starting position. Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

3. Glutes

Your glutes are the powerhouse of skiing, stabilizing your hips and lower back. Strong glutes reduce the risk of back injuries and help you maintain proper alignment during long ski runs.

Home Exercises:

• Bulgarian Split Squats: With one foot resting on a chair behind you, lower into a squat using the front leg. Engage your glutes as you return to standing. Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps per leg.
• Donkey Kicks: Start on all fours, keeping your core engaged. Lift one leg back and up while squeezing your glutes, then lower back down. Complete 3 sets of 15 reps per leg.
• Step-Ups: Step onto a sturdy chair or bench with one leg, driving through your glutes. Lower back down and alternate legs. Perform 3 sets of 12 reps per leg.

“I want my body to be strong, pain free, and to be ripping down the mountain in my 90’s.”-  Dr. Miszczyszyn

Maximizing Muscle Growth with Emsculpt Neo

Traditional exercise can take weeks, if not months, to build noticeable muscle strength and endurance. It typically takes 4-6 weeks of consistent training to see real progress. However, Emsculpt Neo, available at our Medical Gym, supercharges this process. Using high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology, Emsculpt Neo contracts 100% of muscle fibers in targeted areas, compared to only 30-40% activated in standard workouts.

In just a 30-minute session, the equivalent of 20,000 muscle contractions occur. These contractions place muscles in a hypermetabolic state, accelerating growth and strength far faster than traditional exercise. Plus, it incorporates radio frequency heat, boosting circulation to increase muscle development and even contribute to fat loss. This makes it the ideal solution to get the legs, glutes, and core ski-ready in no time.

How Fast Can You Build Muscle?

When training using conventional exercises, muscle hypertrophy (growth) takes time due to the body’s gradual adaptation. For most, it takes a few weeks to notice significant strength and tone changes. However, with Emsculpt Neo, the hypermetabolic muscle contractions drastically reduce the time needed to build strength, allowing you to see visible results in just a few sessions. By amplifying muscle engagement and recovery, our medical gym’s technology accelerates peak condition for the slopes in record time—before the first snow even falls.

Fuel Your Muscles: The Protein Factor

Strengthening muscles isn’t just about exercise; it’s about recovery too. Protein plays an essential role in muscle repair and growth. During intense physical activity, such as skiing or preparing for ski season, protein needs increase. But how much protein should you actually be consuming?

For active individuals, the recommended daily intake of protein is around 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight depending on the intensity and duration of activity. To calculate protein intake:

1. Weight in kilograms (weight in pounds ÷ 2.2).
2. Multiply weight by 1.2–2.0 based on varied activity level.

For example, if someone weighs 70 kg (154 lbs) and engage in moderate exercise, they should aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram, which equals about 112 grams of protein per day.

Inadequate protein intake not only slows recovery but can also lead to deficiencies affecting immunity, cell repair, gut health, skin, and hair quality. Increasing protein intake with lean meats, plant-based sources, or protein supplements aims to support muscle growth and recovery.

Experience the Future of Fitness at Village Medical Gym

Our Medical Gym membership offers advanced devices for muscle building. Whether prepping for ski season or maintaining year-round fitness, our Medical Gym membership is a gateway to cutting-edge health, wellness, and longevity.

Schedule a demo to experience firsthand how the Emsculpt Neo, Emsella, and EMface can revolutionize your fitness journey.

Take the first step toward injury-free, strong skiing by visiting Village Medical Gym today. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to join us at the forefront of medical fitness—your body will thank you come ski season!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health regimen, medications, or treatments. The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Village Medicine Seattle or its affiliates.