Preseason Fitness Gear for Snowboarders
Once winter starts, all snowboarding enthusiast will get their gear out of storage. The boards require tuning and waxing in preparation for new escapades. While it is crucial to take care of your snowboarding gear, it is also important to remember that your body ultimately controls the snowboard. No matter how good or expensive the gear you purchase is, being unfit will eventually yield poor results.
As a snowboarder, it is essential that you stay fit during the off-season. Workouts during the preseason are also necessary. If you would like to improve your snowboarding experiences, here are a few tips you should keep in mind.
Balance and Core
Efficient and safe snowboarding is a result of core strength and stability. Without balance, you might find yourself falling off the snowboard and rolling down a mountain. To prevent accidents, include exercises that focus on your balance and core. Try one-leg balance, and balancing on objects from time to time during your pre-season workout routine.
Strength
Snowboarding requires the strength of different muscles. You should, therefore, use your pre-season exercises to strengthen all the muscles in your body. Try a variety of squats and lunges to exercise all the muscles in your legs. Also, focus on exercises that test your endurance to improve your strength during snowboarding.
Flexibility
The course down a mountain is not smooth. There are rocks, trees and boulders to be avoided along the way. Your body needs the flexibility to move when necessary. Practicing yoga has been known to improve flexibility, and comes with benefits such as concentration and calmness. Yoga will also improve your balance and muscle strength.
Power
A plyometric training program will help you focus on your strength. Emphasis is placed on the bending of the knees during landing. Bending the knees during landing will help you avoid tearing your ligaments.
Keeping each of the above critical points in mind, here are some of the exercises you can incorporate into your preseason workout routine.
Squats
Squats focus on your thighs, hips, buttocks, quads, hamstrings, ligaments and tendons throughout the lower body. There are also crucial for promoting balance and burning fat when done correctly. If you not comfortable doing the exercises at home, visit an instructor at the gym for help.
There are several squat techniques you can try to make your routine interesting. Body-weight squats, single leg squats, jump squats, plyometric squats, barbell squats, and goblet squats are all great. As you perform each squat, remember to keep your feet apart, hands and back straight and feet to the ground. The knees should not go beyond your toes when doing a squat correctly.
Lunges
Lunges improve each leg independently and also improve your balance. You can also include weights for a better workout. Include forward lunges, reverse lunges, jump-lunges and side lunges into your preseason routine. Keep your feet shoulder width apart when making lunges and make your steps as wide as you can to give the muscles a good stretch.
Plyometrics
These are exercises that involve rapid stretching and contraction of the muscles to increase muscle power. Most of these practices include jumping. Try jump squats, box jumps, and jump lunges. Remember that the stretching and contraction should be rapid. For this reason, perform several jumps in each set to improve your power.
Single Leg Deadlift to High Knee
This movement will coordinate the hip, knee, ankle while enhancing strength, control, and balance. Keep your body straight and your feet shoulder-width apart. For the first part, raise your right leg towards the back, and band your body at the hips to keep it parallel to the ground, while your hands stay perpendicular to the ground. Then bring your right leg forward as you straighten your body and hold it at a ninety-degree bend and the knee. Lower the leg to the first position and repeat the process with your left leg.
Cardiovascular Training
Remember that your heart and lungs have to be ready to keep up with the rigorous movements. As you focus on your muscles, do not forget your cardio. Your body will require enough oxygen and blood to sustain you as you move down the mountain
Pushups
Pushups help in strengthening your core, work on the arms, chest and leg strength too. Whether you are doing the standard or wide pushups, you will also practice endurance. Push your entire body upwards, and carry out several sets to keep yourself in good shape.
Planks
Just like other exercises, there are several variations of the plank you can perform. You can perform the forward plank with your hands or elbows supporting you. Alternatively, you can also try the side plank and lift the upper leg to challenge yourself more. Planks work one tightening your core.
Conclusion
A preseason workout will help you prepare for snowboarding. A good workout will work on your strength, power, flexibility, and balance. By including various exercises such as squats, lunges, planks, plyometric exercises and pushups into your daily routine, you will be better prepared for snowboarding during winter.