Unfit skiers on a slippery slope

Halifax Travel Insurance is urging winter sports enthusiasts to get fit before hurling themselves down the slopes this year. The message comes after the latest research from the insurer found more than a third (38%) of Britain's 1.2 million annual winter sports holidaymakers were woefully out of shape for their winter holiday last year.

The apparent lack of conditioning above led one-in-ten to suffer a serious injury as a result. A further 19% admitted they'd been lucky to escape uninjured after their lack of fitness had caused them to take a monster wipe-out. The majority also stated that the sudden onset of strenuous sporting activity began to take its toll on their body after only the third day on the slopes.

Those whose lack of fitness caused them to injure themselves lost an average of four days away from the slopes to nurse their injuries. And with a seven day ski pass for a ski area such as The Three Valleys in the French Alps, weighing in at £175, they wasted an average of £100 each - equating to a combined £4.5 million annually.

Paul Birkhead, senior manager of pricing and underwriting for Halifax Travel Insurance said: "We process a significant number of claims each year from skiers and boarders that have been forced to cut their winter holiday short as a result of an injury.

"But clearly prevention is better than the cure, and a few months of pre-holiday training can help you to cope with the strain of winter sports, as well as to build up your stamina. Those that don't manage to train thoroughly beforehand should recognise their limits and make sure that they take regular breaks to help their body recover."