My first day of snowboarding wore out the seat of my snow pants and the palms of my gloves. That’s how often I fell on day one. I kept at it, though, and now love floating over the deep powder and cruising back and forth across the slopes. It is like floating on a cloud! In addition to wearing out my gear on the first day, I also became painfully aware of which muscles are used a lot when learning to snowboard. I thought of myself as being in pretty good shape, but getting up repeatedly, with my boots locked onto my board, really worked some key muscles. Looking back, I now know that I had several muscle weakness areas that focused training would have made learning to snowboard easier. The five exercises suggested here are areas to focus on when training for snowboarding. Focus on the “getting back up” aspect that is the reality of a new boarder. For your best time on the mountain, a comprehensive training program is highly recommended. These exercises can be done anywhere, anytime, with the high-quality resistance training gear from Physix Gear Sport.
I cannot emphasize how much you will use your core. Your entire core must be ready for snowboarding, not just those showy muscles that can be seen. You should also focus on your transverse abdominus and iliopsoas. One great abdominal exercise to do with your loop bands is the bicycle crunch: put the band around your ankles, lie flat on your back. Keep hands by ears, point your elbows forward, and lift your feet with your knees slightly bent. Bring your right elbow to your left knee, then left elbow to the right knee. Repeat, keeping shoulders off the floor throughout. Another useful exercise is the mountain climber, which begins in plank position, loop band around your toes. Maintain plank while bringing one knee then the other toward your chest. Continue to move, play with your speed, but maintain your core muscle engagement throughout.
Your legs will be on fire during your first snowboard runs; all leg muscles work hard to maintain your body position and steer the board. Squats are your best bet; try looping the band around both legs, and place just above the knees. Get into a power stance: feet shoulder-width apart, chest up, contract your core, and push your hips back. Squat down till your knees are bent to about ninety degrees. Hold for a few seconds, then return to standing. Repeat this 12-15 times. If you can maintain form, your squat may go lower than ninety degrees, but be cautious as this is an advanced squat style. Modify your squat by trying plie or sumo style squats.
My forearms were aching after my first day of boarding, grabbing the edge of my board to pull myself up out of the powder revealed how weak they were. Train your forearms by doing wrist flexion, and wrist extension moves with your loop bands. Another great forearm exercise that can be done with your loop bands is the forearm reverse curl.
If you plan to take up snowboarding, I recommend resistance training and cardiovascular training so that your body is ready for the challenge. Treat yourself to a lesson for beginners, it’s well worth it and will save you some tumbles.
Don’t forget to offer those muscles recovery and massage after your day on the mountain! A dedicated muscle recovery plan will reduce pain and have you ready for more!