| Snowboarding is an extremely physically demanding | | | | you won't necessarily feel it right away, your calves |
| sport. The outward image many people have of | | | | are one of those muscles. For that reason, there is a |
| snowboarders is the teenager who lounges around | | | | great exercise you should perform a couple times a |
| the house eating potato chips and drinking mountain | | | | day to ensure you have the necessary calf strength |
| dew. It's actually a sport that requires careful training | | | | for toe-side traverses and whatever else you want |
| of very specific muscles and near constant attention. | | | | to try. |
| Conditioning is not necessarily required to be a great | | | | Standing on a step looking up, let your heels hang a |
| snowboarder, but for those planning on boarding | | | | bit off the edge of a step and lift your weight onto |
| often it's vital to keep certain parts of the body in | | | | your toes. Lower and repeat, always slowly. If you |
| top condition. | | | | need an extra challenge, weigh yourself down in the |
| However, as you might have guessed, you don't | | | | process. |
| need to be attached to a gym to keep in shape on | | | | Pushups and Situps |
| the mountain. These simple exercises will help you | | | | These are more or less the most common and |
| out with staying fit and having fun on the mountain. | | | | simple of at home exercises and can be done nearly |
| Lunges | | | | anywhere. Building abdominal strength is vital for a |
| You've likely done lunges numerous times back in high | | | | good snowboarder and there is no better or more |
| school gym class. It's a great exercise that many | | | | classic way than these good old fashioned exercises. |
| people overlook because it can be painful at first on | | | | Everyone knows how to do a pushup and a sit-up, |
| the knees. However, after a while of doing it | | | | but keep one thing in mind. Always keep your back |
| regularly, you'll notice that you not only have stronger | | | | straight and everything in right angles. Don't bend |
| legs but that knee pain vanishes. | | | | your back during sit-ups, or arch during pushups. It |
| The exercise itself is simple. Merely stand straight and | | | | does more damage to certain parts of your body |
| step forward. As you step, lower you back knee to | | | | than good for others. |
| the ground and stretch. You should feel a light strain | | | | Ankle Exercises |
| in your thighs, but nothing too strenuous. Don't step | | | | You'll use those ankles a lot on a snowboard, for |
| too far. Your legs should remain at right angles. | | | | steering, stopping, and everything else. A great |
| Squats | | | | exercise to keep your ankles in good shape is to |
| Another great leg exercise (and leg strength is very | | | | simply lie flat, lift your leg in the air and try writing |
| important to a snowboarder) is the squat. It not only | | | | out letters or words in the air with your foot. It |
| shapes the thigh area, it strengthens in and around | | | | sounds goofy, but it builds muscle in a very hard |
| the quads and hips as well. | | | | place to build muscle. |
| Sit against a wall and pretend there is a chair beneath | | | | Routine |
| you. Stand with everything at a clean 90 degree | | | | For the snowboarding fanatic, constant exercise is |
| angle and wait for a minute or so. Doing this a few | | | | very important. There's no need to go to the gym |
| times a day only will help to build the necessary | | | | though as the muscles you need to build up |
| strength in your legs for snowboarding. | | | | endurance in can all be worked on at home. Just |
| Calves | | | | keep up a solid routine and you'll be ready to go to |
| There are certain motions on a snowboard that | | | | the mountain every weekend. |
| require immense strength in certain muscles and while | | | | |