Why Leg Strength Alone Won't Protect Your Knees on the Slopes

Jo Pollard has been treating skiers in Val d'Isère for over 12 years, working with everyone from elite athletes, including GB Snowsport, Canada Freestyle, New Zealand Alpine, and Chinese Snowboard teams, to recreational holidaymakers. As both a physiotherapist and avid skier and snowboarder herself, she understands intimately the mechanics and demands these sports place on your body.

What she's witnessed consistently? The gap between what most skiers think protects their knees and what actually does is significant. In this Q&A, Jo shares her expert insights on comprehensive knee protection that goes far beyond simple leg strength.

The most common injuries I see are meniscal tears and ACL ruptures. These typically result from impact combined with twisting - creating that devastating 'pivot' motion that ACL injuries are notorious for. The MCL (medial collateral ligament) also frequently takes strain during ski accidents.

Several factors influence whether you'll sustain a knee injury: your speed when the incident occurs, whether your bindings release appropriately, and crucially, your overall fitness level. But here's what surprises people: leg strength is just one piece of this puzzle.

Yes, strength matters. Strong muscles provide crucial support and stability. But here's the critical question: can you react quickly enough when the mountain presents something unexpected? I often tell clients: "Strength keeps you steady, power helps you stay safe."

Pure strength training - squats, lunges, leg presses - builds the foundation. But skiing demands explosive power, lightning-fast reactions, and dynamic balance. You need your body to respond instantaneously when you hit unexpected ice, when terrain changes suddenly, when another skier cuts across your path. You also need to add balance and speed/reaction drills into your programme.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jo Pollard (@jo.pollard)

The most neglected aspect? Proper movement patterns and alignment during training. Good form isn't just about injury prevention during exercise, it's about programming your body with correct movement patterns that automatically transfer to the slopes.

Having good form in your training is important - making sure your alignment and stacking of your lower limb is correct. This not only means you're not stressing the joints, but these movement patterns will feed into your activities, helping to reduce injury. When you consistently train with proper lower limb alignment and stacking, those patterns become ingrained. Your body defaults to safe positioning even when you're not consciously thinking about it.

Having a solid pelvis and core will help you absorb shock and is a key part of the reactions and control I've talked about above. When you land a jump, hit a mogul, or navigate rough terrain, forces travel up through your body. Without adequate hip and core strength, your knees bear disproportionate load. Additionally, that pelvic and core stability directly feeds into reaction speed and control. You can't respond quickly to unexpected challenges if your foundation isn't solid.

Add some variation with single-leg work, balance and speed drills. Traditional bilateral exercises like squats and lunges provide valuable foundation strength, but skiing rarely involves both legs doing exactly the same thing simultaneously. I recommend:

Single-leg work: Single-leg squats, step-ups, single-leg deadlifts. Skiing constantly challenges you on one leg - your training should reflect this.

Balance drills: Stand on one leg on an unstable surface (wobble board, BOSU ball, even a folded towel). Progress to closing your eyes. Make it skiing-specific by adding upper body movements whilst balancing.

Speed and reaction drills: Lateral bounds, quick direction changes, reactive movements responding to visual or auditory cues. Train your body to respond fast.

Plyometric exercises: Box jumps, lateral hops, bounding. These build explosive power - the difference between recovering from a near-fall and actually falling.

The longer the better, but at least 8 weeks if possible. However, some training before your ski trip is better than none. Things like walking, hiking, biking etc. are all good for building base for your cardiovascular fitness and general leg strength/endurance. If you're short on time, even two weeks of focused preparation provides benefits. Prioritise walking or hiking with elevation, cycling for cardiovascular base, balance work (quick to do, highly effective), and movement pattern work focusing on proper alignment.

This is when it is very useful to hire an instructor who can spot the signs quickly. The warning signs that your knees are vulnerable often aren't obvious to the skier themselves - but they're immediately apparent to trained instructors. Common issues they'll identify include excessive inward knee collapse, over-rotation, poor weight distribution, and compensatory patterns that load knees incorrectly. These are fixable, but only if you're aware of them.

If you have any concerns, book in to see me before your trip. Make sure you have done sufficient training before hitting the slopes and have done your utmost to minimise the risk of re-injury. Key principles:

Ensure adequate rehabilitation: Don't rush back. Your knee might feel "fine" for daily activities but lack the strength, stability, and confidence for skiing's demands.

Train comprehensively: Previous injury means you need to be even more thorough with preparation - strength, balance, proprioception, and sport-specific movements all matter.

Consider protective equipment: Depending on your injury history, knee braces or supports might be appropriate. Discuss this with your physiotherapist.

Your knee has already proven vulnerable. Treat it accordingly.

One of my biggest tips is to not overtrain! Make sure you are factoring in enough rest and recovery, as fatigue is one of the biggest factors for injury. Ironically, one of the most common mistakes I see is excessive training leading up to ski trips. When you're tired, reaction times slow, technique deteriorates and concentration lapses. This is when injuries happen. Also consider:

First-day caution: Your first day skiing is statistically when you're most vulnerable. Take it easier than you think necessary.

Know when to stop: When your legs are burning, technique is suffering, or you're making silly mistakes - stop. One more run isn't worth a season-ending injury.

Protecting your knees requires more than leg day at the gym. It demands comprehensive preparation: strength combined with power, balance, proper movement patterns, and adequate recovery.

If you have specific concerns about your knees, previous injuries, or would like personalised assessment and training guidance, Jo is here to help.

Contact Jo Pollard: WhatsApp: 0033 669 77 61 12. Jo is located next to the medical centre in Val d'Isère.

Instagram: (follow for physio content and Val d'Isère life)

Browse our luxury catered chalets where everything is taken care of, allowing you to focus on enjoying the slopes safely.