Snowboarding is one of the most popular winter sports across the globe, even surpassing skiing for the younger Gen Z’s and Millenials. While skiing is a classic winter sport, snowboarding is paving its way as a young, fresh, and exciting alternative.
If you’re interested in learning how to snowboard but have yet to hit slopes, what are you waiting for? There are several reasons you should take the leap and learn how to snowboard.
1. Give Your Mental Health a Boost
Getting outdoors and exercising is one of the best ways to improve mental health. Being outside in the fresh air is beneficial to a clear mind, reducing stress levels and overall mood. Those who get outdoors regularly have a lower risk of depression and better management of their stress levels.
Physical activities release endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in our brains, that result in a greater sense of happiness and well-being. Finding a physical activity you enjoy gives you the opportunity to hone in on the task at hand and forget about everyday stressors.
2. A Fun Form of Exercise
If the gym isn’t for you, snowboarding is a fun way to exercise without feeling like you’re working out. While it may not seem like much of a workout on the surface, there are several benefits of snowboarding when it comes to your fitness.
Builds Strength
When snowboarding, you put nearly every muscle in your body to work. You spend much of your time in a squatted position and maintaining balance, working your muscles in the process. With regular snowboarding, you’ll build strength in your calves, quads, and core.
Cardio Workout
Snowboarding is a great aerobic exercise which is beneficial to heart health. In an hour of moderate snowboarding, you can burn up to 450 calories. An hour on a snowboard will fly by much more quickly than slogging away on a treadmill, encouraging both weight loss and endurance.
Improves Flexibility
To keep your balance while snowboarding, you constantly engage your core and muscle groups while changing directions quickly. These regular movements improve your flexibility over time, reducing the likelihood of injury.
Stay Active in the Winter Months
It’s often hard to find the motivation to get outside in the cold winter months. When you find a winter activity that you enjoy, it’s much easier to get outside and stay active in these colder months.
Snowboarding is also a winter sport you can partake in year-round. There are plenty of snowboarding destinations and resorts where you can go for a snowboarding session.
3. Improve Your Balance
Snowboarding requires dynamic balance, which means you have to maintain your balance while moving to adjust for changes. This is one of the most challenging things about learning how to snowboard at first, but with enough practice, you will see your balance improve over time.
4. Form Strong Bonds With Fellow Snowboarders
When you take on a new hobby, you also open yourself up to meeting new, like-minded people. If you’re learning to snowboard for the first time, it’s not uncommon to bond with fellow beginners working to improve their skills.
As you get more skilled and frequent the slopes, you develop a sense of community with your fellow snowboarders. You may visit new slopes together, go out in new groups, and provide support when learning new tricks or taking on a new hill.
5. Confidence Boost
Snowboarding is a challenging sport to learn, but it’s also rewarding. Whether it’s making it down the slope, your first successful stop, or learning how to use the ski lift, these milestones boost your confidence. This confidence boost encourages you to keep going and working at developing your newfound skills as a snowboarder.
Snowboarding Tips
When you’re new to snowboarding, getting started might feel overwhelming. These simple tips will get you started off right.
Get the Right Snowboarding Gear
Having the right snowboarding gear helps you stay warm, comfortable, and safe as you learn the slopes. You should have multiple layers of clothing to stay warm, waterproof outwear, snowboarding boots, bindings, a helmet, goggles, and a snowboard. When you’re just starting out, much of this gear can be rented, but if you’re serious about the sport, you’ll eventually want to get your own to stay consistent.
Expect to Fall
When learning how to snowboard, you will fall. A lot! It’s unavoidable, but there are steps you can take to fall safely. Many people want to stick their arms out to stop a fall, but that method is more dangerous, often resulting in broken limbs. Instead, get low, keep your arms to the side, and take the brunt of the fall with your body.
Don’t Give Up
Snowboarding skills develop over time with a lot of time and effort. You may spend several sessions learning how to stand or stop and mastering the bunny hills before you feel ready to try the larger slopes. The key is to continue practicing and don’t give up. As you stick with it, you’ll notice your skills improving over time.
Learn How to Snowboard With Snowboarding Lessons
There are several benefits to learning how to snowboard. It’s a great workout, boosts your mental health, and allows you to be part of a community. If you’re ready to take the next step and learn how to snowboard, why not start with some lessons?
At Norski Sport Rental, we offer snowboarding lessons in West Village. We’ll even send a shuttle to pick you up! Contact us today to learn more.
