Hi, I’m Andrew Elsdon. I’m 63 years old. I’m a lifelong skier and a Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA) member since 1984. Like many of you, I’ve spent decades chasing better turns. I’ve worked on building stronger legs and achieving that elusive effortless run where everything just clicks.
And yet, not too long ago, I hit a wall.
Despite all the experience, training, and technical know-how I’d collected over the years, I was held back by something. I wasn’t skiing better. In fact, I was skiing in pain. My back ached. My knees stiffened up before I even got to lunch. My hips were as cooperative as a rusty gate. I felt like I had plateaued—and not in a “this is my best skiing” kind of way. More like, “this is as good as it gets now.”
But here’s the kicker: I was wrong.
The Real Reason I Was Stuck
I always assumed it was just aging. Wear and tear. A few injuries catching up with me. Normal stuff for a guy in his sixties, right?
Turns out, the real culprit wasn’t age. It was something I’d never even heard of: adaptive muscle shortening.
This condition develops when certain muscles stay shortened too long—from sitting, from repetitive movement, or from not moving enough. Over time, it creates imbalances that mess with your posture, your mobility, and your strength.
For me, it showed up in my hip flexors, hamstrings, quads, and lower back. Tight where I should’ve been loose, weak where I thought I was strong. And skiing only made it worse. To add to injury, I was hit on DAY ONE this past season. I was off snow for 2 months with a severe concussion. There will be more on that in a later article.
Why Skiing More Wasn’t Helping
I always figured more time on snow would get me through the plateau. But instead of breaking through, I was reinforcing poor movement patterns. And every run added more fatigue, more soreness, and less control.
The worst part? I didn’t realize the damage was already done. I’d lost range of motion in my hips and spine. My glutes weren’t firing like they used to. My core wasn’t stabilizing. My pelvis was tilted. It was a house of cards. I didn’t feel strong nor able to increase the edge angle or shorten the turn radius because I wasn’t aligned.
The Turning Point
How Adaptive Muscle Shortening Was Holding Me Back—and What Finally Fixed It
The breakthrough came when I started focusing on mobility. Not just stretching, but a progressive, skier-specific sequence of dynamic mobility, stability training, and muscle balancing. It wasn’t glamorous. It didn’t feel like training in the traditional sense. But it worked.
I learned that to ski well—especially over 60—I needed the following:
- A strong, neutral pelvis (goodbye, anterior tilt)
- Open, lengthened hip flexors
- Engaged glutes
- Hamstrings that don’t scream every time you try to bend
- A spine that can actually rotate
Once I began to correct these issues, skiing started feeling different. Lighter. Smoother. More powerful! My recovery time shortened. My balance improved. I wasn’t just surviving the run; I felt more in the driver seat. Still a long way to go as far as I’m concerned, but definitely better.
Why This Matters (Even If You’re Younger Than Me)
This isn’t just a 60s problem. In fact, most skiers over 40 are already dealing with these imbalances—they just haven’t put a name to it yet.
If you:
- Sit for work
- Feel stiff when you get out of bed
- Get sore hips or back after skiing
- Feel like you’re stuck at your current level
Then chances are, you’re dealing with the same issue. And it won’t fix itself.
The Off-Season Is the Secret
These days, I train differently in the off-season. Less brute force. More smart sequencing. Mobility, balance, activation work. It’s not about looking like an Olympian. It’s about skiing pain-free, with power and joy.
I wish I’d started this 10 years ago. Hell, 20.
Why “5-Minute Pre-Ski Stretching” Isn’t Cutting It
But the good news? It’s never too late.
Let’s be honest—stretching for five minutes in the parking lot is not really effective. Balancing a boot bag and a lukewarm coffee during this time doesn’t do anything for your skiing longevity. We’ve all been told a few toe touches before the first chair is good enough to “loosen up.” The truth? That 10-second hamstring nod is just putting a Band-Aid on a biomechanical mess.
Here’s the reality: if you’ve got tight hips, an achy back, or knees that whimper halfway through a powder day, there’s a deeper issue. This issue is adaptive muscle shortening. And a half-hearted quad pull isn’t going to fix it.
At SkiChatter, we tackle this stuff head-on with a real solution. Our mobility program isn’t about fluff or filler. It’s a smart, sequenced system. It targets the exact problem zones most skiers face. These include tight hip flexors, locked-up glutes, and those cranky lower backs that show up every mogul run. This can help you unpack the muscle layers. It can restore balance and build the stabilizing strength you need. This helps you ski harder, longer, and pain-free.
No 60-minute yoga marathons required. Just the right moves, in the right order. These moves are designed for skiers by skiers. This way, you can keep carving well into your 60s, 70s, and why-not-80s.
If you’re feeling stuck or sore or just want to ski better, start with mobility. You don’t need to grind through another season of discomfort. Start with understanding your imbalances. Start small, but start now.
Trust me—your future self (and your ski turns) will thank you.
Andrew