The lifts haven’t started up yet but you’re dreaming of your first snowboarding run of the season. Even if you’ve stayed fit throughout the year, you’ll want to get your body ready to ride longer and better. Snowboarding requires strong legs and ankles for steering, body rotation for turns and a balanced stance to keep you upright as you ride over bumps or uneven terrain.
Training Schedule for Snowboarding
Start training about six to eight weeks before you plan to snowboard. This will give you enough time to notice the benefits. Do these exercises two to three times a week.
In addition, you’ll want to alternate exercise days with cardio workouts. Increasing your heart rate and working your lungs will boost your overall fitness level.
Pick a cardio activity that you enjoy doing, whether it’s running, biking or swimming. Aim for 30 minutes of cardio activity about two to three times a week.
Hip Roll Exercise
Hip strength plays an important role in knee control. By strengthening the muscles of your hip, which include the glutes, this exercise aims to reduce the likelihood of knee pain.
- Stand on one leg.
- Lean your body forward at your hips, keeping back straight, and lift your right leg back behind you, slightly off the ground.
- Rotate your hip away from your standing foot.
- Keep your body in a straight plane as you roll your hips back.
- Repeat 10 times on each side.
Lateral Ski Jump Exercise
This power exercises works your quads, glutes and hamstrings.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent, balancing on one leg.
- Jump to the side, landing on the other leg. Think about landing softly with your knee slightly bent.
- Then jump to the other side, landing on the other leg.
- Swing your arms sideways across your body like a speed skater.
- Repeat 15 on each side for a total of 30.
Plank Hold with Leg Movements Exercise
A strong core is as important as strong legs when it comes to balancing on a board and improving your stability. Build core and upper body strength, which you’ll put to the test when you fall and need to get up.
- Begin in a push-up position.
- Keeping your core stable, bring your knee to chest (flexion), then straight back (extension), and straight out to the side (abduction), all with the toe pointing down toward the ground. Don’t let your hips rotate or shift side to side.
- Switch legs and perform the same movements on the other side.
- Continue to alternate legs and perform for 30-60 seconds.
Squat with Heel/Toe Raise Exercise
This exercise strengthens your calves, shins and ankles, which you’ll use to get on your toeside and heelside edges.
- Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and then squat down like you are going to sit into a chair. Your thighs should aim to be parallel with the ground. Try to keep your back straight and look forward.
- Lift both heels off the ground at the same time and then lower them.
- Then lift both toes up at the same time and lower them.
- Alternate between heel and toe raises.
- Repeat 15 times (each heels-up to toes-up is one repetition).