In just a few days, Olympic athletes from across the globe will descend on Sochi to showcase their prowess in any number of events. But back here at home, there may be people who, though they won’t be traveling across the globe to engage in winter sports, still take advantage of the remaining winter months to remain active.
If you plan on going snowboarding at any time this winter, then you want to take the same precautions as the professionals even if you’re not quite up to their skill level. There are numerous ways in which you can protect yourself from injury, and thankfully, a new report relates some important tips from current and past Olympic athletes on how to stay safe the ways the pros do.
One of the most important things to bring to snowboarding is a sense of patience, especially in the early going. If you’ve been a skiing enthusiast for a long time but have decided to try your hand at snowboarding, a whole new set of skills will come to bear. You must work on balance and turning, and those things will take some time to get used to.
While you’re going through this learning stage, you are going to face some minor injuries, but you shouldn’t let those dissuade you. Take some rest if you need to, especially if your injury goes beyond mere bumps and bruises, but be willing to get back out on the slope after you’ve recovered. You can never become serviceable at snowboarding if you don’t get back on the horse. The longer you do it (hopefully under the watchful eye of an experienced instructor), the better you’ll become at balancing, turning, and maintaining speed. This will allow you to reduce the injury potential over the course of time.
You also want to make sure that you’re properly strapped into the board. Don’t just borrow a snowboard from a buddy and leave it at that. You wouldn’t wear a pair of shoes that does not fit; they’d be uncomfortable and would leave you more susceptible to tripping. Well, the same should apply to your snowboard. Make sure that your feet fit comfortably so that you improve your chances of standing upright throughout your downhill journey.
One athlete offers a hint as to how to maintain balance. The lower you bring yourself toward the ground, the easier it will be to remain balanced. She points out that most people think they’re bending their knees dramatically when in fact they’re standing nearly completely erect. Bend your knees sufficiently so that you improve your chances of staying on your feet.
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