How to snowboard like a professional?

If you want to put away the past frustrations of constantly finding yourself on your back when snowboarding, then you need to learn the basics of snowboarding like a pro. There are some basic secrets that every professional rider knows. If you apply those tips to your sport, you will be turning heads with mad snowboarding tricks and manoeuvres in no time.

Train

Focus on basic strength training The primary muscles used when snowboarding include hips muscles, core muscles, hamstrings muscles and muscles of the lower legs and feet. Professional snowboarders know that all of these muscles should be trained in a most specific way. Focus on basic strength training exercises such as lunges, heel and toe raises and squats to develop basic strength in your lower body and core. Improve your balance Incorporate flexibility and balance training workouts, including regular stretching drills, to add a strong core stabilisation component in your riding and to improve your overall body balance. When doing the workouts, keep in mind that the majority of the snowboarder's movements manifest outward from the abdominal and hip musculature with the limbs only playing a secondary role.

Practice

Practice for endurance Adopt a physical training program to develop the physical endurance necessary to maintain your stance for extended periods of time. Use dry training exercises such as rock hopping (hopping and jumping up and/or down stones and boulders of streams and creeks), trail running and stairs drill, such as running up and down a set of bleachers to enhance your endurance as a start before advancing to other drills. Practice snowboarding basics Practice your drills regularly - such as how to 360 to master your snowboarding techniques and to develop a feel for the snow beneath your feet. Also, use wobble boards, balance discs and half-dome stability balls to help you practise and develop sensitivity for the terrain.

Mind

Train your mind Mental training builds confidence, concentration and the body-mind connection that works for high level athletics. Enroll in a mental training program and take snowboarding lessons and tips for snowboarding. Also, read snowboard tutorials and books that will help you learn how to harness your mental game and put it to work for you. The saying also holds true in snowboarding that you can achieve anything, if you put your mind into it. Adopt the right attitude The right attitude is the key to succeeding. Believe in your abilities and adopt a professional snowboarder's mindset to ride like a pro. Stop believing you cannot ride like a pro and start seeing challenges as opportunities for development and growth to put yourself on track to becoming an exceptional rider.