Having spent the past 14 winters working in Japanese ski resorts, I’ve seen a lot of injured skiers and snowboarders. So, as many prepare for a well-earned holiday from Singapore’s heat, to the snow-filled mountains in Japan, I thought I’d provide some information and tips on how to avoid finding yourself in one of our clinics. Once-a-year skiers are at the highest risk of injury. The balance and strength required for skiing are quite a shock to bodies that are conditioned to long periods sitting in an office each day.

The most common injuries sustained by skiers are:
Head injuries (5-10%)
Knee injuries (35%)
Fractures (thumbs and wrist) (5%)
Dislocations (especially shoulders) (5%)
Miscellaneous sprains (20%)

Head injuries are the most dangerous of all skiing injuries. Most fatal injuries occur in people skiing at high speeds, out of control, and hitting a solid, fixed object. To avoid head injuries: wear a helmet, ski in control, match your speed to the conditions, and always look where you are going. There is a saying in ski resorts that everyone you see on crutches is a skier and everyone you see with their arm in a sling is a snowboarder, and there is some truth to this. Knee injuries are the most common of all ski injuries. Snowboarders have a much lower incidence of knee injuries, but experience a much higher rate of wrist injuries. Meniscus, medial collateral ligaments (MCL) and the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are the most common. If you come across an injured skier remember to place your skis in a cross above them, call Ski Patrol and do NOT attempt to move the person if you suspect there is even a chance of a neck or back injury. As a physiotherapist, it is generally easier to assess people on the same day of the injury, the day after an injury swelling increases and assessment becomes more difficult.

10 Ways to Avoid Injury:

Make sure both skis release from the bindings well – be a pest to your ski hire assistant and ask that they’re not too tight.
Condition your body to skiing. Commence a strengthening program a minimum of six weeks before you go.
Take care at the bottom of the run when turning around to see friends coming down – it’s a common time for injury.
Don’t ski aggressively when you are tired. It is usually the last run of the day that causes the injury.
Don’t get up too soon when you are falling or sliding. Wait until you stop and have your balance.
Many injuries occur walking on ice-covered roads and footpaths. Take shoes with good grip, buy some ice spikes, and wear gloves, so you walk with your hands out of your pockets to improve your balance.
Never deliberately fall over out of frustration.
Don’t ski after drinking.
Wear a helmet (especially kids) and if you are a beginner snowboarder also wear wrist guards – they do work to prevent wrist fractures. Both skiers and boarders should consider high-end knee braces – they do prevent knee injuries.
Although stretching before skiing will not help, ensure you warm up by doing an easy treadmill run first.

Getting Ski Fit: To condition your body for skiing, cycling is a great idea, especially using larger gears and riding at a lower cadence (about 50rpm) with higher resistance – some hill repeats at Mt Faber are perfect, or an indoor bike is still effective. One legged mini-squats, step downs, or leg press machines are a great idea. Using a loop band around the ankles to do wide sideways steps (monster walks), walking or running upstairs and jumping split squats are also great.

Japan’s Best Ski Resorts

Niseko, Hokkaido: Niseko is fast becoming the Aspen of Asia, with booming property prices, Michelin starred restaurants and premium concierge services. It is the biggest resort in Japan and gets around 15 metres of dry powder snow every season.
Hakuba, Nagano: Located closer to Tokyo, in the Japanese Alps, Hakuba is a sprawling area of several resorts, the largest being Happo-one. The mountains are huge and accommodation is generally more affordable.
Nozawa Onsen: Also in Nagano, Nozawa is a quaint old Japanese resort famous for its narrow winding roads with hot-spring water flowing underneath. With great bowl skiing Nozawa is perfect for people wanting an authentic Japanese experience. Try to be there for the fire festival in mid-January.
Myoko Kogen, Niigata Prefecture: Only 60 minutes’ drive from Nozawa Myoko is an up and coming resort that has a unique micro-climate seeing it gets 15 metres of snow fall, mostly in January and February.
Rusutsu: Only 45 minutes’ drive from Niseko Rusutsu is a smaller mountain, but has great
off-piste skiing with an easy layout and hooded lifts, so you spend more time skiing and less time walking or traversing. Fewer people means more fresh tracks. A great day trip
from Niseko, and lifts usually operate on high wind days when Niseko is closed.

Singapore Physio: 282B River Valley Rd, 238323 (near Mohamed Sultan Rd Corner)
singaporephysio.com

After spending nearly two years calling races at the Singapore Turf Club, New Zealander Tom Wood is now a Race Caller at The Hong Kong Jockey Club. The 28-year-old is one of the world’s youngest and most sought after callers. He shares his lifelong involvement with the racing industry and tips for next month’s Melbourne Cup.

Your family is heavily involved in racing?
I had racing in my blood right from the get go! My father was first a jumps jockey and then he and my mother trained thoroughbreds in Cambridge, New Zealand for a number of years. All my jobs as a teenager were in racing, I even ran my own photography business for a while selling racing photographs, then I worked as a broadcast cadet for the New Zealand Racing Board, which operates the broadcast arm of the TAB: Trackside Television.

How did you get into calling?
I moved into commentating trials in the Canterbury region and was mentored by Reon Murtha, a well-known name, not only in race broadcasting but also other sporting events like the Commonwealth Games.

What attributes do you need to be a race caller?
Well the obvious is good eyesight and a decent voice. You also have to be quick thinking and have a good memory.

How did you get the confidence to race call at a young age?
It’s one of those things where you have to make it work, because if you don’t you look or sound stupid. Outside of my job, I’m actually quite a shy and quiet person. Race calling can be quite a lonely occupation in some respects, because once the race starts, its all on you, and there is nobody who can help you out.

How do you prepare for calling races?
It’s a case of studying the form and trying to work out what’s going to happen. Who is riding which horse? What barrier have they drawn? What weight are they carrying? Who might be the leaders of the race? I do all that preparation in the hope it takes the element of surprise out of the race. Things will still surprise you of course, but if you can read a race, it helps a lot. I also try to stencil the names and colours of the horses and jockeys into my brain as much as I can before the gates open.

Tom’s Cup Tips:

Favourite all time horse?
Winx. There are not many better than her.

Who is your pick for the Melbourne Cup?
It’s too early to tell at this stage, but probably a horse that comes from the northern hemisphere. They have a very good record in the race and are tough to beat.

Have you ever won big on the Melbourne Cup?
Never! It’s such a hard race to have a bet on, 24 horses, two miles, so many unknowns. It’s a real headache.

Join us at the Melbourne Cup Race Day on Tuesday 6 November at The Singapore Turf Club anza.org.sg/events

Vivian Eng plays rugby for the Singapore women’s team, is a former national soccer player, and a qualified preschool teacher. Eng teamed her twin passions by setting up VivoKids Singapore, a movement and multi-sport programme catering to kids aged 20 months to six years. Alongside introducing children to six different sports, they run holiday camps and sports-themed birthday parties for kids up to 12 years of age.

Why did you set up VivoKids?
Having coached for 10 years at various sport academies, and working in a preschool for a year, I felt that there was a lack of understanding of kids’ abilities and potential. I simply love kids, and I believe that sports are a great medium to reach out and bond with them. VivoKids was set up to offer the benefits of multi-sports to children of all abilities. Using age-appropriate equipment with fun, progressive games and drills, we hope kids will embrace an active and healthy lifestyle.

You’re so fit yourself! What’s your own sports background?
As a national athlete, I’ve played various sports in my younger years, specialising only in my late teens. My multi-sport exposure and background helped my development as a person and an athlete; and gave me the edge when I decided to pursue a new sport (rugby) in my late twenties.  As a female athlete, who plays typical “boy sports” – soccer and rugby – I wanted to encourage more girls to be active and to engage in lifelong sports too. Sports is unisex and all girls should be given the same opportunities and visibility when it comes to sports!

What age is best to start introducing sports to your child?
When the child is still at infant/toddlers’ age you can expose them to a variety of movements, outdoor play – anything that involves both fine and gross motor skills is great. Once they hit 2.5 years and beyond, you can introduce them to sports, keeping in mind that it should be a wide variety, and that sessions should be age appropriate and fun.

What are the benefits of multi-sports training for kids?
Research has shown that the multi-sports approach helps build a solid physical development foundation as children get a chance to learn a wide variety of movement skills, which can be transferred to many sports. Exposing them to a wide range of movement also reduces the risk of over-use injuries and burnout. Sport helps kids develop active lifestyle habits and all-round physical conditioning such as flexibility, core stability, strength, stamina, power and speed. Apart from reaping the physical benefits, they sharpen up problem solving, communication, team work and working independently.

Why is sport great for kid’s socialisation?
Playing interactive group games develops social interaction and communication skills. Problem-solving or cognitive skills such as counting, identifying colours, or learning body parts, are stimulated during games. As they grow older, they get exposed to cooperation and friendly competition in sports, where they learn about winning and losing, teamwork, sportsmanship, integrity, resilience and perseverance.

What role can parents take in encouraging kids to participate in sports?
Children model their parents’ behaviour and tend to inherit their habits. To encourage long term sports participation, parents should lead by example, adopting a healthy and active lifestyle and participating in regular exercise or sports activities. As a family, choose to head out to cycle or hike together, explore the outdoors and nature.

To find out more head to vivokinetics.com

Kids Swim Tips

Sam Jackson, Managing Director of Marsden Swim School shares his tips for helping your child become a super swimmer in Singapore.

1 Learn to relax – a relaxed body is a buoyant body. Practice lots of back floats with your child, supporting them on your shoulder or gently supporting their neck. Let them feel how their breathing effects their buoyancy. The key is to relax all muscles… tense muscles are heavy!

2 Never hold your breath – Learning to exhale (blow bubbles) is about the most important skill one can learn. This can be encouraged from 4-6 months old. Practise long, slow exhalations, working towards coming out of the water for a short breath in.

3 Develop a balanced body, strong foundation – A balanced body in swimming is one that sits on top of the water. This is created through length and developing an effective kick. Practice lots of kicking on their backs, with straight legs. Ensure their neck is relaxed and encourage them to just look straight up!

4 Technique first – Teach a child to swim well and you are providing them a life skill. Emphasise strong technique across all strokes, distance should only be added if they can keep their technique sound.

5 Find a reputable swim school – Try find a school that teaches all the way through from babies to adults, from learn to swim to competitive squads, as kids will understand what is required at all stages of development. Also ensure they make it fun!

Marsden Swim School now offers lessons at the German European School which has an indoor Olympic sized temperature controlled pool. marsdenswimschool.com