Photo: Unsplash / @mattiaswolsson
Physical exercise on a regular basis offers tons of health benefits, including keeping your immune system working, stimulating muscles throughout your body, and generally staying in good shape. But one of the biggest obstacles many people face in accomplishing that isthat going to the gym, taking a jog every day, or doing a ton of push ups and sit ups at home can be quite boring. Fortunately, there are some activities that are fun and exciting while providing your body with a good workout to benefit your health and physique.
Snowboarding is a particular activity that challenges the body and works a variety of muscle groups. It provides the body with a workout that keeps everything functioning as it should be. At the same time, snowboarding is a fun activity that can be done with a group of friends or even as a family trip up the mountain.
So, what exactly are the health benefits of snowboarding?
While many snowboard for the thrills, more people are starting to participate in the activity as a way to stay healthy and active. Some of the most important physical benefits that can be obtained through snowboarding include an increase in flexibility and improvements in overall balance. Core strength can also be improved significantly through regular snowboarding sessions. Since snowboarding provides a form of cardiovascular activity, it should be noted that it’s also good for heart health. This also means that snowboarding should be considered one of the top natural ways to increase stamina — the boost in stamina will, in turn, help you perform better, as well as in other activities.
People are able to burn as much as 600 calories in a single hour session. This means that people who are trying to lose weight can also greatly benefit from bombing down the hill. Ideally, you should be combinging this with a healthy diet, which will allow for more appropriate weight management.
When it comes to the mental health benefits of snowboarding, most people tend to find that they feel improvements in their mood and a happier overall mindset. This is due to the thrill they experience, which causes a release of endorphins. Snowboarding is also known to assist with reducing levels of stress and relieving symptoms related to anxiety. Many people who regularly snowboard also find that they start to feel more confident.
For many people, though, the question remains whether or not there are risks involved in snowboarding. Aside from basic injuries like sprains or broken bones, more serious risks include concussions, dislocations, lacerations and contusions. When proper precautions are taken, however, and time is taken to learn the skills needed to master this sport, the risk of injuries can be significantly reduced much like anything else.
For anybody just getting started, snowboarding will certainly leave your legs very sore the next morning. And while the legs are going to be the most obvious part of your body feeling the effects of that first day on the hill, your core, your glutes, and your hips are also placed in the spotlight when when making your runs to the bottom.
Snowboarding is a particular activity that is often considered very difficult to master, but the benefits that the activity holds for your body certainly outweigh its learning curve. From benefiting your physical and mental wellbeing to getting a natural boost of endorphins, to buring an impressive amount of calories, snowboarding is great for anybody looking for a fun way to start getting active.
