Snowboarding Off-Season Fitness Tips

Off Season Fitness Training for Snowboarding

Return to the slopes this winter ready for action! Rosa Snow contacted fitness expert Sara Johnson of Harbor Athletic Club near Madison, Wisconsin to ask her advice on how to keep those snowboarding muscles toned over the Summer.  Sara is an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and a snowboarder. 

This routine will help strengthen the middle of the body and hips (core) and the lateral muscles of the legs that support the knees and hips.

After a 10-15 minute warm-up (see previous article), complete 2 sets of 10 repetitions of each of the following (unless noted otherwise):

Plank Hold:  Do 3 sets of a 30 second hold. Work up to 1 minute after doing this for a few weeks.  Begin on elbows and toes (facing the ground.)  If possible, lift opposite elbow and foot off of the ground a couple of inches; alternate sides.  Be sure not to hold your breath.

Superman: Lay on stomach.  Pull navel towards spine (this is a very subtle movement.)  Lift both arms and legs off the ground.

Knee Pulls:  Need an exercise ball/resist-a-ball.  Start on your stomach and walk your hands out on the floor so that the tops of your feet are the only things on the ball.  Lift hips slightly into the air and pull your knees in towards your chest.  Variation:  pull knees slightly to each side as you pull.

Outer Thigh Lifts:  Need an exercise ball/resist-a-ball.  Kneel on the ground with the ball at your side.  Use the ball only for balance (lean slightly towards the ball) as you lift one knee out to the side and back down.  Add a kick on the second set.  Repeat on the other leg.

Inner Thigh Squeeze: Need an exercise ball/resist-a-ball.  Lay on your side with the ball between your ankles.  Lift the ball a few inches using the bottom leg.  Repeat on the other leg.

Wall Sit:  Squat against a wall.  Make sure to maintain about 90 degrees at your knees.  Keep breathing!  Hold for 1 minute.   Rest, repeat.

Squat Jumps: Bend your knees deeply (unless this bothers your knees).  Jump straight up as high as you can.  Make sure that your knees stay hip-width apart on your take-off and landing.

Calf Raises:  Find a step.   Stand on the ball of one foot. Lift heel as high as you can, pause at the top, drop the heel until you feel a little stretch in your calf, and repeat.  Hold a dumbbell in your hand once you have done this exercise a couple weeks.  Repeat on the other leg.

Toe Raises:  The reverse of the above, but stand on both heels at the same time. Lift the toes.  You will feel this in the front of your shins.
Lateral Line Jumps:  Find a line.  Jump side-to-side over it (both feet at the same time).  On the second set, try to make wider jumps.