Skiing is a high-impact sport even if you do avoid the trees. As you swish down the slopes, muscles that have been unused for months (particularly in your torso and legs) are made to work hard for hours on end. Yet most skiers don't stretch before leaving the chalet. Tune up your suspension to avoid the pain.

1. Torso twist

Stand with your legs a little more than shoulder-width apart and your feet parallel. Raise your arms with elbows bent 90 degrees and chest open. Twist your upper body round, keeping your hips facing forward, and look behind you. Swing your upper body in the opposite direction to look at the same point again. Repeat 6-10 times, moving faster each time.

2. Leg swing

Stand on one leg and swing the other back and forth. Try to get your leg as high as you can in both directions; you can use your ski poles for support. Swing 2-4 times, then change legs. Do 5-10 sets. Stand tall and keep your abdominals tight.

3. Lunge

Take a longer-than-average step forward. Bend both knees and lift your back heel off the floor, pushing your front knee over your front foot. Repeat the bend 10 times, increasing the depth of your lunge each time (don't go past 90 degrees). Repeat with the other leg. Do 2-3 sets with each leg.

· Thanks to Carl Petersen, physiotherapist to Alpine Canada at the Winter Olympics