Woman with closed eyes meditates - image by luismi1985

This How to Snowboard series will cover snowboarding basics and exercises that will help you strengthen muscles and prepare for your snowboarding trips.

We all know how to breathe. Frankly, most of us are so good at it, we don’t even have to think about it to do it.

Paying a more attention to breathing can make us a better snowboarder before we ever hit the slopes.

Controlled breathing will help you keep oxygen pumping to the ends of your muscles, increase your energy and help you adapt more quickly to higher altitudes when snowboarding on mountains.

And breathing can also help keep our heads clear.

Buddhist monks use controlled breathing, focusing on their breath, during meditation to not only feed their body with oxygen but also to clear their mind. And you know, a clear head on the hills puts you at an advantage.

Here’s a quick breathing exercise that can help you improve your conditioning and build your stamina:

1) Sit in a comfortable position, folding your legs works good. Placing a small rolled up towel under the edge of your butt can help you sit up straight.

2) Start taking slow, deep breathes for about 1 minute.

3) Now slow it down a little more. Try inhaling for about 5 seconds, then hold your breathe for 1 second and then slowly exhale for the same amount of time it took you to inhale.

4) Try extending your breaths for longer inhales and exhales. Find a breathing regime that helps you feel relaxed.

Try this controlled breathing exercise for 5 minutes prior to any exercise and again 5 minutes after.

If you’re interested in meditating like Buddhist monks, you can also try this controlled breathing exercise for longer periods and focus only on your breath. Keeping your eyes closed, think only about inhaling and exhaling. This will help you keep a clear mind and help you meditate.

Try it out. You’ll be surprised at the results.

Technorati Tags: How to Snowboard, snowboard, snowboarding, snowboarding lesson

Photo by Pal Berge of Flickr

One of the very top reasons many of us are shy to try snowboarding, including myself, is because we are not into hurting ourselves. I don’t want a broken arm or sore behind and I’m sure you don’t either, right?

We want to protect ourselves at all times! Here are some of the ways to do that.

1. 
   

   1) Choose the right size snowboard

2.  

   Choosing the correct snowboard size for you can depend on your riding style, your height and body type and the conditions you plan to ride in. The general rule of thumb for choosing the right size snowboard is to find a board that from the floor, reaches between your nose and chin. See the snowboard size chart guide to help you figure out your perfect size snowboard.

4. 
   

   2) Choose the right snowboarding clothing

5. Jeans and hooded sweatshirts may look totally rad when your slicing up the slopes, but there’s a reason why snowboard gear makers pour so much moolah into researching the best new way to keep your body warm and dry. Avoid becoming cold and wet and you’ll save yourself from succumbing to hypothermia.
7. 
   

   3)Wear boots that fit

8. Wearing the wrong size boots or boots that aren’t made for snowboarding limits the control you can have over your snowboard. Boots should fit your foot and your board so that your feet don’t slide around in your binding and potentially break your foot off at the ankle. (hey, it could happen)
10. 
    

    4) Wear padding and wrist guards

11. When I was new to snowboarding, I fell a lot. I mean A LOT! Unless you’re a snowboarding genius, and let’s face it, we are of course, you’re likely to fall a number of times while you get the hang of it all. If you can squeeze an extra pair of thick sweat pants under your snowboard pants that could give you a little more cushion for when you fall on your bum. New riders should also consider using wrist guards as many of us naturally use your hands and wrists to catch ourselves when we fall.
13. 
    

    5) SPORT A HELMET!

14. Protect your melon peoples. Not only can helmets be stylish and keep you from suffering a bump on the noggin, but if someone starts chucking snowballs, they won’t be able to take you down so easily. Helmets double as shields!!! Seriously, helmets are very important to keeping your hair from staying perfect and protecting what’s important under it.
16. 
    

    6) Take a lesson from a professional instructor

17. Taking a lesson can be a very enlightening and rewarding experience. Instructors are paid to help you learn the ropes and you know, they may actually be totally cool and might invite you to a basher after a day on the hills. If nothing else, an instructor will help you learn good technique that will catapult you ahead of where you were just a couple hours before. It could save you some frustration too.
19. 
    

    7) Stay on your own pace

20. Just because your friends are throwing 360 misty flips and putting polish on the rail slides doesn’t mean you skating down the bunny hill isn’t totally gnarly. In fact, doing your thing is the coolest thing about snowboarding. You can be yourself and enjoy the sport at your own pace. It’s great to push your limits, just take some time to find out what those limits are. If you stick with it, you’ll be mcflippin’ in the super pipe in no time.

Have any other thoughts on how to ease into snowboarding?

Technorati Tags: injury, snowboard, snowboarding, Snowboarding Gear, staying safe, Womens Snowboarding