Top 5 Reasons to Start Snowboarding

By Nicola Crocker


Are you feeling bored of the gym? Seeing the same old faces, using the same machines and finding it hard to get yourself motivated? Snowboarding could be a great way to break your regime without compromising your fitness and social life. Let's take a look at some of the reasons why winter sports could be your new niche.

See the World - Possibly the most exciting reason on this list, the opportunity to travel the world and see new places is a huge draw for people looking to start learning. With resorts in France, Belgium and Switzerland, snowboarding is a great excuse to see places that you would have perhaps overlooked when planning previous breaks or holidays. It's not just Europe either; Canada is famous for its majestic slopes and even the U.S.A has popular resorts so it can be easy to combine this new hobby with your usual holiday. So - whereas now you get up to go and grind out the same regime at the gym, imagine getting up to hit the slopes for hours of excitement instead.

Exercise - Snowboarding is great exercise and a good way to keep fit. If you are new to the sport and looking to either lose a bit of weight or simply tone up, you must prepare your body for what it is about to be thrown into. It can be challenging at first as it demands not only your body to be in good condition but also your mind - as it can require some intense concentration at times. Having said that, the fulfilment you will feel after completing a full day on the slopes will be unrivalled and if your body aches, it only means that it's working! Snowboarding is great for getting your legs and tummy in shape due to the constant use of your legs and hips to help maneuver you down the slopes too. It can also be a great way to improve your coordination, even if you do need a few falls to get you there!

Meeting New People - Your local gym is probably a melting pot of all sorts of different people and as well, is often a real social excursion as well as being the place you train your body at. Winter sports resorts can offer a whole new world of people to meet and train with. With thousands of people taking to the slopes every year, you are guaranteed to meet people who snowboard at your level and higher who can offer practical advice. It is also worth mentioning the night life at these resorts; many hold music festivals and concerts and are often close to towns that cater for the tourist, with clubs and bars where you can unwind and converse with new friends after a day on the snow.

Can I share my passion? Of course! If you have a family and you want them to be as excited as you about the prospect of taking up snowboarding, you can tell them about all the great things winter sports resorts offer. The amazing scenery gives kids the excitement of a year-round Christmas and really gets them in the mood to try something new. There are instructors specially trained to teach children, offering group lessons and games that will help your child get to grips with things. Perhaps a holiday on the slopes might even replace tanning on the beach?

Future - One of the best parts of learning how to take part in this sport is the opportunity to use it for the rest of your life. It can be as big or as small a part of your life as you wish; you can decide to go once a year to hone your skills and take a much needed break from your busy life, or you can take whole seasons out to work at the resorts and learn everything you possibly can. Many people who take up winter sports have been consumed by them, eager to try out the most popular resorts or the most challenging slopes. There are always new things to learn too, so there is always room to grow and get better. It can be a great way to introduce you to people you will continue to know for years to come and also a wonderful thing to teach and pass on to your children.

Snowboarding is a massive sport with a huge list of benefits, not just from a health and fitness point of view but also in a social way. It has a huge following and is a challenging sport you can really sink your teeth into. With some resorts open all year round, you can always escape the humdrum city life and get away from it all, without compromising your physical fitness.




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