Enjoy the speed and passion of skiing, but remember to keep both fitness and safety in mind

The upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has attracted great attention and expectations at home and abroad. Although the cold wave continues to "show its power" in most provinces of my country, with moderate to heavy snowfall one after another, and the lowest temperature in the northeast region plummeting to minus 30 or 40 degrees Celsius, this does not stop people's enthusiasm for ice and snow. In major ski resorts in the north, people wearing colorful snow gear and equipment rush down the white slopes in a zigzag route through the crystal snowflakes rolled up by the cold wind, enjoying the "speed and passion". In the snowy picture, there are one-on-one "teaching and learning", hand-in-hand "family parties", and "stormtroopers" racing and chasing each other. The "east wind" of the Winter Olympics has driven the ice and snow craze of countless "enthusiasts", especially young people!

We need speed and passion, but also safety

A gratifying fact is that the Beijing Winter Olympics has promoted the understanding and awareness of ice and snow sports among the majority of young people in my country. In a recent media interview, Associate Professor Liu Xin, a national freestyle skiing referee, deputy chairman of the Oral Health Branch of the Heilongjiang Medical Health International Exchange Promotion Association, and master's tutor of the Department of Oral Rehabilitation of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, told reporters: According to surveys, 80% of children and adolescents participate in ice sports 1-5 times a year, and 5.8% of them skate 16 times or more a year. Among the young people who ski, more than 60% ski 1-5 days a year, and more than 12% ski for more than half a month a year. Against the backdrop of "Healthy China", the national ice and snow fitness movement is in full swing.

While enjoying the excitement and joy of skiing, we must also master the basic sports knowledge and skills to provide a protective "barrier" for our own safety. As the first freestyle skiing slope obstacle skills referee and freestyle skiing U-shaped field skills referee in the Beijing Winter Olympics in the medical field of my country, Dr. Liu Xin solemnly reminded that although skiing has many benefits, safety hazards must be prevented, especially for teenagers whose bodies are still in the growth period and whose physiological and psychological development has not yet been completed. Therefore, it is very important to understand skiing knowledge and ensure sports health. He reminded young people who often go to the ski resorts to first establish a sense of prevention and self-protection must be put first; at the same time, they must be familiar with the knowledge, skills and essentials of snow sports and make necessary preparations in advance; in case of accidents, they must learn how to deal with general injuries on the spot and go to a specialist hospital in time for treatment.

Different age groups need to choose appropriate projects

Dr. Liu Xin pointed out that for babies under 5 years old, it is recommended that they experience the fun of skiing with the company of adults, such as playing snow rings, snow blankets, ice slides, snow spinning and other games. At this stage, children's physical level in all aspects has not yet reached the level of learning skiing, and the main focus is on cultivating their interests and hobbies.

For children aged 6-9, some easy-to-learn skiing training can be arranged. Children of this age have already developed their reaction ability, spatial ability and balance ability. It is more appropriate to cultivate children to practice skiing through basic training. Under the guidance of a coach, they can slowly slide in straight lines and turns on the primary ski slope. It is recommended to proceed step by step and not too fast.

At the age of 10-13, children's coordination, reaction, time and space discrimination, sense of rhythm and various senses gradually mature. Referee Liu Xin suggests that on the basis of mastering the basic skiing essentials, some slightly more difficult skiing techniques can be added, such as initially trying giant slalom and slalom skiing on intermediate ski slopes to gradually improve speed and skills.

13-16 years old is the period of sexual maturity, when children's reaction ability, high-frequency activity ability, spatial recognition and balance ability, general flexibility and time perception ability are mature. At this stage, you can study all theoretical knowledge and skiing skills from basic skiing to advanced skiing. However, Professor Liu Xin warned that the psychology of adolescents in this period is still unstable, so it is very important to guide their interests and hobbies. You cannot force or rush for success, otherwise it will lead to a rebellious mentality and have a negative impact on children's interests and hobbies.

By the age of 16-19, teenagers' physical development has matured, their athletic quality has also greatly improved, and their physiological indicators are close to the level of adults. Therefore, experienced coaches can be selected to systematically teach elementary, intermediate and advanced skiing skills and technical movements with a certain degree of difficulty.

Raise awareness of sports injury prevention

Doctor Liu Xin reminded that since teenagers are still in the process of physical and psychological growth and development, it is particularly important to enhance safety awareness. Skiers themselves need to establish a good safety awareness, do a good job of early preparation, deepen their understanding and knowledge of skiing, ensure the effective use of their own physical fitness, achieve efficient fitness operations, actively adapt to the conditions and environment of the ski resort, and control the possibility of sports injuries to a minimum.

Skiing is a relatively intense sport that consumes a lot of personal energy. Participants need to avoid fatigue as much as possible and ensure adequate nutrition, calories and rest at all times. At the same time, it is most important to listen to the opinions and guidance of professional coaches, which will help everyone to have a deep understanding of skiing techniques, and only on this premise can they protect themselves. Some participants are competitive, blindly confident, and eager for quick results. They do not make adequate "warm-up" preparations, have no patience for the demonstrations and education of professional coaches, and go directly to the ski resort to run wild; some bold beginners even choose to slide down a steeper slope quickly, which greatly increases the probability of falling and injury, and even causes disability.

Referee Liu Xin warned that those who are "trying snow" for the first time must listen to the advice of professionals, choose a suitable ski resort, control the terrain and slope, and actively abide by the rules and regulations and requirements of the venue. Under the guidance of the coach, they should flexibly master different skiing techniques, learn to regulate themselves and protect themselves, and participate in various skiing sports independently and freely under the premise of safety precautions to achieve a comprehensive improvement in their personal physical fitness.

Prepare your ski equipment in advance

It is obvious that the necessary items for skiing are necessary to ensure the quality of the whole set of skiing movements. The occurrence of sports injuries is often related to the incompleteness of skiing equipment. Reasonable and scientific skiing equipment can help reduce the risk factor. Especially in relatively harsh climatic conditions, people who are "fully armed" will be safe. Liu Xin suggested that when skiing outdoors, you need to choose ski clothes that are breathable, waterproof, and have relatively high friction to avoid frostbite as much as possible; at the same time, you should be equipped with basic items such as elbow pads, knee pads, face protection, and ski goggles to minimize accidental injuries. If you choose items directly at the ski resort, you need to choose snowshoes, snow poles, and helmets that match your own characteristics based on your height and weight, and pay attention to detailed inspection of the quality of the equipment.

It should be emphasized that before going on the ice and snow, skiers must follow the coach's instructions and wear professional ski equipment correctly for their own safety, including snow boots, ski suits, snowboards, ski masks, ski pants, ski goggles, knee and wrist guards, etc., and check them one by one. Skiers should also choose the appropriate ski slope according to their actual level, and avoid being too ambitious and trying to achieve success overnight. They should pay attention to the basic principle of practice makes perfect and start from the primary ski slope.

Dealing with accidental injuries scientifically and properly

As a young expert in the field of oral medicine restoration, Dr. Liu Xin reminds that among the accidental injuries caused by ice and snow sports, the most common are injuries to the face, especially the front teeth. When the teeth are broken but not dislocated, they should be reset by themselves as soon as possible; if the teeth are completely "off the job", if possible, clean the fallen teeth as much as possible, hold them at the bottom of the tongue, and try to find a dentist to re-reset and fix them as soon as possible. For mildly damaged maxillofacial areas, cold compresses should be applied immediately to prevent swelling, and hot compresses should be applied after more than 24 hours. When a joint sprain or muscle strain occurs, exercise should be suspended, and ice and snow should be applied to the injured area on the spot to avoid excessive swelling caused by exudate, and medical bandages should be used for pressure dressing. When a maxillofacial or local body fracture is suspected, local materials can be used for treatment, and the fracture site can be fixed with a ski board or dry branches as a splint, and the brake should be applied as much as possible, and then the patient should be sent to a medical point for further treatment as soon as possible.

Liu Xin suggested that for those who bleed due to skin abrasions, they should apply pressure on the wound with sterile gauze to stop bleeding. The ski resort environment is not clean. If there is an open wound, infection should be avoided. The wound should be cleaned and disinfected with borax water or saline immediately at the medical treatment point, and then anti-inflammatory ointment or gentian violet should be applied. At the same time, long-term skiing can easily cause frostbite, and the injuries are mostly at the ends of the limbs. At this time, you must immediately leave the cold environment. If conditions permit, the frostbitten limbs can be soaked in warm water of 40-42 degrees Celsius, or placed in the armpits, abdomen, etc. for temporary rewarming, and then quickly sent to the hospital for treatment. Do not take wrong practices such as rubbing with snow, soaking in cold water, and directly roasting with fire. For skiers who lose consciousness and have no spontaneous breathing, emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation is required on the spot, and professionals are called for help.

A collection of knowledge you must know before skiing

Since 2008, Associate Professor Liu Xin, who has expertise in ice and snow refereeing, has refereed many major events, including the Freestyle Skiing Aerials Competition of the 11th Winter Games of the People's Republic of China, the Obstacle Chase Competition of the World University Winter Games, the FIS Freestyle Skiing Aerials World Cup, and the FIS Snowboarding World Youth Championships, and has accumulated rich refereeing experience at home and abroad. Here, Dr. Liu Xin specifically puts forward the following opinions and suggestions for young people who love ice and snow sports and the majority of ski enthusiasts:

First, pay close attention to the climate conditions and weather changes at local ski resorts to prevent sudden changes and unexpected events.

Second, you should first have a general understanding of the conditions of the ski resort, such as the height, slope, length, width and surrounding environment of the ski slope, and choose a suitable slope according to your own skiing level; you should also read relevant guides or manuals, and use maps to know the distribution of ski resort facilities such as first aid stations and rest rooms; pay attention to the opening hours of the cable car, and never take it when it is temporarily unattended.

Third, beginners should pay attention to gradual progress and do what they can. During the training period, they should follow the arrangements and instructions of the coaches and ski resort staff. Before reaching a certain level, they should not go skiing in ski areas with high technical requirements without authorization to avoid accidents.

Fourth, when skiing, you should keep a certain distance from others and be careful not to collide with each other. When there are a lot of people on the field, you should adjust your speed and avoid skiing too fast or too hard.

Fifth, when playing in a large ski resort, you should control the pace, go early and return early, and stop when you have had enough. Especially when it is snowing, the terrain is unfamiliar, and you are tired, do not ski alone in uninhabited areas or primeval forests to avoid having your skis flattened by the wind and losing your way home due to nervousness and worry.

Finally, Dr. Liu Xin said that with the Beijing Winter Olympics coming as scheduled, building a strong sports nation and "300 million people participating in ice and snow sports" has become the main theme of the healthy and fashionable lifestyle of the Chinese people. Not only that, as a winter outdoor sport loved by people all over the world, people can also deeply experience the wonderful feeling of returning to nature, so as to cherish the earth's home more. Liu Xin hopes that under the inspiration of the Beijing Winter Olympics spirit, more "skiing families" and "skiing teenagers" can emerge, so that the ice and snow sports culture can be better inherited and carried forward!

About Dr. Liu Xin

Doctor of Stomatology, postdoctoral student at Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, associate chief physician of the Department of Oral Restomatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University.

Young member of the Oral Restoration Committee of the Chinese Stomatological Association, young member of the General Practice Committee of the Chinese Stomatological Association, and deputy director of the Oral Health Branch of the Heilongjiang Medical and Health International Exchange Promotion Association.

He also serves as a referee for the freestyle skiing slopestyle event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, a national freestyle skiing referee, and a director of the Harbin Ski Association.

He has officiated at important national and above level competitions, including: the Freestyle Skiing Aerials competition of the 11th Winter Games of the People's Republic of China in 2008, the Freestyle Skiing Obstacle Chase and Aerials competition of the 24th Winter Universiade in 2009, the 2010-2011 FIS Freestyle Skiing Aerials World Cup (Beidahu), the 2011-2012 FIS Freestyle Skiing Aerials World Cup (Beidahu), the Freestyle Skiing competition of the 12th Winter Games of the People's Republic of China in 2012, the 2013-2014 FIS Freestyle Skiing Aerials World Cup (Bird's Nest), and the 2015 FIS Snowboard World Youth Championships (Yabuli, Harbin).

As a practicing clinical physician, he was invited by the State General Administration of Sport to serve as the referee for freestyle skiing slopestyle skills and freestyle skiing U-shaped field skills at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. He is the first person in the domestic medical community to do so.