Is snowboarding a good workout? – Top 5 benefits

Ah, fresh mountain air and one plank beneath your feet. There’s no doubt that being up the hill is pretty much always going to be better than staying on the couch. But what exactly are the health benefits of riding? And is snowboarding actually a good workout? 

Yep, we’re probably all familiar with the dreaded thigh burn, but is snowboarding just about strengthening the legs, or does it do more than that? If all these questions and more are swirling around your mind, wonder no more. 

Here at Dope Mag, we’ve looked at what that shred fix does to you – from your head to your toes and even your heart. So, pack your snowboard jacket and snowboard pants and get ready to reap the rewards. We don’t want to give the game away, but you’ll experience some physiological boosts, some psychological, and some almost spiritual ones, too.

Top 5 health benefits of snowboarding

1. Strengthens muscles

Who needs the gym when you have mountains, right? Snowboarding heavily works your lower body, strengthening key muscle groups – and providing a leg day with a difference!

Yep, snowboarding certainly doesn’t let you off lightly. You’ll flex and work those ankles and feet as you steer and keep your balance. The small support muscles around your knees will be switched on, too. And you’ll feel subtle (and not so subtle) knee and hip movements. But don’t worry – all this is part of strengthening your muscles. 

And trust us – even if you don’t notice the burn at the time, you’ll definitely feel it the next day. Ever seen someone stiffly walking around the chalet, cowboy-style, like John Wayne? They’re probably feeling the effects of their first day on the slopes. 

Of course, you can prepare at the gym before your trip with workouts like spin and weight training to give your leg muscles an initial boost. Once you’re on the mountain, though, you’ll experience a mix of eccentric, isometric, and concentric muscle work, unlike any other sport. It’s part of what makes snowboarding so unique – and darn addictive! 

2. Burns calories

With your shred method of choice, you’ll burn some serious calories. That’s because snowboarding is a rad cardiovascular exercise, increasing your heart rate and helping to keep your body’s hardest-working muscle in top-notch condition. And, if you ride at speed and give your body a chance to recover on the lift, snowboarding also qualifies as interval training.

How many calories you lose totally depends on your weight and skill level, of course. However, Harvard Medical School states that someone who’s 185 pounds will burn 266 calories in just 30 minutes of downhill skiing. Not bad, right? And that’s around the same for snowboarding. Plus, the steeper the slope, the more calories you’ll burn as your body works harder to keep your balance. It’s all about feeling the burn to burn through those calories. 

If you’re one for earning your turns, the calorie burn rate increases as you hike up to ride down. And, the cold weather we’re used to in the mountains also plays a part in calorie burn. This is because your body has a little workout in raising its own body temperature. So, just being out in the mountain air is already burning more calories than stepping onto a beach. Nice.

3. Improves flexibility and balance 

Learning the basics as a beginner or riding at speed as a pro requires a hefty dose of balance and coordination. You have to be aware of how your body moves and what position to put it in to achieve that turn, hit that kicker, or spray that pow.

Snowboarding, in particular, keeps you on your toes for balance (literally). That’s because you’re often changing directions in a blink of an eye, stretching to clip and unclip, and bending more as you sit down and stand up. All this helps, though, to improve your overall flexibility and range of motion. 

Being flexible and working on your balance plays a part in reducing sprains and injuries. That’s because your muscles and connective tissues – such as tendons, ligaments, and cartilage – become more flexible over time, stretching rather than straining with every movement. 

Stretching with warm-up exercises before you hit the hill is never a bad thing. Don’t forget to stretch at the end of the day, too, to keep that next-day cowboy impersonation firmly locked away.

4. Engages core muscles

Following on from the benefit of improving flexibility and balance is the advantage of engaging core muscles. These are closely linked, as keeping your body upright on a snowboard needs some intense focus and balancing skills. Think about it: you have to balance when you hit a bump, dodge a snow snake, or nearly stack it on ice. 

Now, you might not notice it as you’re actually riding, but constantly staying balanced forces your core muscles to engage and work hard. This – and the repeated movements – helps improve your core strength, which has multiple benefits‌. These advantages include a strong back, better posture, and reduced chance of muscle strain. 

Even riding forward needs excellent control and engagement of your core and abdominal muscles. And add frequent transitions from heel to toe on a snowboard, and that core is activating even more. Attempting tricks in the park? Rotations and landings definitely test (and improve) your core strength.  

Prep your core for hardcore and mellow riding by planking before your ski trip. Sit-ups, Russian twists, crunches, and more are also handy exercises for strengthening your core away from the slopes.  

5. Boosts mental health

Lower those stress levels! Being outdoors, surrounded by mountains, and exercising raises anyone’s stoke instead of their stress. So if you’re ever in a bad mood, get out on the hill. It’s the perfect cure – and guaranteed to slap a huge grin across your face.

It’s all because endorphins and adrenaline are released into the bloodstream when you’re enjoying the ride. This helps create feelings of happiness and lowers both stress and anxiety. And it’s not just as you’re riding. That euphoric feeling can last all day and continue into the week – especially if you find some freshies the next morning! 

Plus, catching those rays on a bluebird day can give you a much-needed vitamin D boost – something that’s particularly hard to get in the winter months. Vitamin D exposure has tons of benefits, including healthier bones and skin (don’t forget the sunblock, though) and a heightened feeling of happiness. 

And getting up on the hill ramps up your social activity too! Whether you’re riding with your usual crew or meeting new people, there’s no doubt that snowboarding connects you to like-minded souls. All this helps reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation, instead boosting those endorphins and ‘feel good’ chemicals. And that’s before you’ve headed to the bar for après-ski… 

Wrapping up

In short, snowboarding isn't just a sport – it boosts your well-being and way of life. So, now you can get your mountain fix, knowing it’s rad for the body and awesome for the mind.

In fact, there’s very little else that works your key muscle groups while burning calories, improving flexibility, and boosting your mental health – all while surrounded by pinch-me-this-can’t-be-real scenery. So, what are you waiting for? Hit the slopes ASAP and reap those benefits. 

Have we missed a key benefit or two? Email and let us know. If there’s any chance to shout about how good snowboarding is for everyone, we’ll take it! 

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• Women's snowboard jackets / Women's snowboard pants
• How to plan the perfect ski trip