It is easy to stop exercising in the cold of winter, especially because of the holiday season. However, it is possible to enjoy the winter, have a lot of fun with friends and family, and stay in shape all at the same time. Snowboarding is a great way to lose a few pounds, increase endurance, make friends and just have a blast during the holidays.
Right off the bat, whether you are a good snowboarder or not, you know that you will lose weight because every time you snowboard, it will be an all day experience. A experience that will not leave you much time for lying around in your PJ’s or snacking while watching television. Because you will spend the whole day on the mountain getting in some exercise, clean, fresh air; a little bit of weight loss is guaranteed.
How much of a workout you can get out of snowboarding is up to the individual. The more time you spend carving back and forth, and the more time you spend on your feet, the more calories you will end up burning. Merely maintaining balance while snowboarding is a calorie burning task because you have to maintain a squatting position and constantly make adjustments to your stance depending on your speed and direction of travel.
Snowboarding is a sport that not only burns calories but it builds cardiovascular endurance. To keep going all day, all the while keeping an elevated heart rate, builds stamina. The more difficult the snowboarding, the more twists and turns and even jumps, the more calories are burnt and the more exercise the heart gets.
Holding the squatting stance for long periods of time, as well as constantly shifting bodily positions due to directional changes and changes in speed, builds muscular stamina. Muscular stamina is often considered less important than muscle building, but for those who which to engage in endurance sports it is equally important if not more. Muscular endurance is what keeps people from cramping up, or from getting tired after only a little physical activity, and it is a very important part of fitness.
Snowboarding also increases coordination and balance, both of which are important parts of almost all sports and, really, in every day life. Coordination is an important part of sports such as tennis, squash, soccer and basketball and good balance comes in handy in pretty much any situation.
Another reason snowboarding is a great way to get in shape, and to stay in shape, is that it is a fun hobby and a great way to pass a day. Because it is so much fun, it doesn’t feel like exercise, even though it is very healthy. Instead it feels like recreation, and it is something that you will want to do again and again. For that reason, snowboarding is a great way to maintain fitness.
All in all, snowboarding for fitness is productive on all levels; it is healthy, it is good for the heart, it increases muscular endurance, and it increases balance, coordination and even flexibility. The extra benefit of snowboarding is that it is enjoyable, and a total body workout!