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Get fit for your snowboarding holiday

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, snowboardingholidays     exercises, fitness, health, Snowboarding, snowboarding holidays

Getting back on the board after nine months isn’t the hard bit;  having the strength to keep going after two hours on the slopes  is.

Now, while you’ve probably still got the skills and can quickly get moving again, unless you skate or surf it’s likely your balance, as well as your strength, will be lacking.

Our previous tips for skiers help cover general strength (lunges and squats) there are also a couple of snowboard specific moves you should get doing.

Photo from Flickr user: Rance Costa

Ankle Circles

These can be done flat on your back and don’t have to be circles. Instead, try writing your name in the air with your foot after raising a leg.

Core muscles

Twisting and turning is going to push the core muscles to their limits. Our core muscles are in action all the time, they keep us upright, and balanced. Strength here helps keep hips and spine aligned. So look out for Pilates inspired exercises.

Balance training

If you’ve never tried using a ‘wobble board’ you should give it a go, or make one yourself: it’s just a board, with a couple of half squash balls glued underneath. Otherwise, practice standing on one leg raising the other ahead of you, throw in a few ankle circles and you are getting there.

Thigh rocks

Great one this: stand with your knees bent, rock up onto your toes and stay there as long as you can, before rocking backward and trying  it on your heels.

For more general ski strength tips that also apply to boarders, have a look here.

About the author

Mark Pawlak wrote 194 articles on this blog.

Editor at Adventure Sports Holidays, Mark's love affair with travel and the challenges of adventure sports continues... "You could save all year for a two-week, all-inclusive, doss by the pool, booze and buffet binge. Or, with a little planning and some good equipment, get off your arse and plan an adventure!"

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4 Comments to “Get fit for your snowboarding holiday”

• 

  Mark Pawlak December 14, 2010 at 2:51 pm

  I never thought there would be specific snowboard stretches. Having checked out a few clips online, it looks like lots of Pilates exercises would really help.
• 

  Luke December 14, 2010 at 5:17 pm

  A good one to fit in around every day life is standing on one foot with your knee bent slightly and holding it as long as you can. After a short time you feel the burn in your calf and wobble in your ankle both of which are being worked out.

  Then try shifting your weight forwards/backwards or side to side whilst keeping your knee bent and back straight. This improves balance and gets muscles used to what they will be doing while boarding.

  Don’t forget to do both legs!
• 

  HannahBeeling February 10, 2011 at 5:16 pm

  Hi everyone, just come over http://www.adventuresportsholidays.com and thought I would post a quick hello, like the site. im sorry if this was the wrong section to put this.

  -HB
• 

  Jenny Cruse January 26, 2012 at 5:28 pm

  Hi Guys, agree with the Pilates tip, also I use the ‘Yoga for Surfers’ vid with Peggy Hall, vigorous and great for core strength and balance. The best quad exercise of all though is back pushed against the wall and sit on an imaginery chair, hold this for as long as you can each day and it will strengthen the quads….happy boarding. I’ve just come back from Portes du Soliel, great snow!