Health Benefits of Snowboarding and How to Find the Perfect Snowboard

If you are into sports that include the great outdoors, offer lots of fun and are also good for your health, then you should give snowboarding a chance. If you haven’t already, that is. Well, if you are still in doubt whether this is the right activity for you, read on for all the health benefits you can reap and a few tips on how to find the perfect snowboard for your needs.

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Three Main Health Benefits of Snowboarding

1. Increased Flexibility

As a physically demanding activity, snowboarding requires you to change direction, speed and body position quite quickly. In time, as you get better, this will improve your flexibility and allow you to create different angles and shapes with your body. This is beneficial if you like doing other sports too.

2. Improved Balance

Snowboarding is one of the best sports you can engage in if you want to improve your balance. With every hour spent on the slopes, you will improve your snowboarding skills, thus improve your balance and coordination too.

3. Increased Core Strength

This type of sport challenges you to use a wide range of muscle groups in order to do it right. At the centre of it are the core muscles. They are a vital part of your body and serve as protection to your major organs. So, by practising snowboarding, you will keep them strong and healthy and that will benefit your whole body, not just your muscles.

Important Snowboard Features

Regardless of whether you are looking for your first or tenth snowboard, there are a few main aspects you need to consider before making the purchase. I am talking about length, width, riding style and preferred terrain. Remember, not all snowboards for sale online or in physical stores are made the same, so being careful when choosing is very important.

1. Length

The length of the snowboard should be a match to your body weight and the type of riding you prefer to do. There is a simple technique that people have used for a long time. Measure your own height from your toes to your chin. If the length of the board matches your measurements, then you are all set. While that is a simple and quite effective way to find the perfect length, still, don’t forget to consider the other two aspects as well. So, for instance, if you like freeriding, then a slightly longer board may be the best choice for you. It will offer more stability and speed. As for freestyling, smaller sizes are recommended since they are easier to spin and maneuver. Plus, there are sizing charts that help you find the ideal length for your body type.

2. Width

When looking through the different types and sizes of snowboards for sale online or in physical stores, pay attention to the ideal width too. If a snowboard’s waist width is properly sized, the boots will hang over the edges of the snowboard just slightly but not too much. You don’t want your boot to touch the snow. So, your boot size has an effect on how wide the snowboard should be. Again, go back to the sizing chart mentioned earlier to avoid any mistakes.

3. Riding Style & Terrain

Granted, you can ride any snowboard on almost any terrain, but it is good to know that there are different snowboards for different terrains and snow conditions. So, you can find all-mountain snowboards that work well in all snow conditions and terrain. These are a great option for beginners who are unsure about what they need and the terrain they will ride in. Next, there are freestyle snowboards. These, as mentioned above are a bit shorter and are usually recommended for those who look to ride in a terrain park.

Then there are the freeride snowboards. They have a directional shape designed to perform optimally in one direction and are ideal for the rider who likes to spend the day in varied terrains. Next, powder snowboards. These feature a wider nose than the freerides and a tapered narrower tail. As the name suggests, these snowboards love powder. And lastly, split boards. These are recommended for the backcountry enthusiasts and are designed to break down into two halves for touring and uphill travel. Once you reach the top, you reconnect the halves and ride downhill normally.