Snowboarding is a thrilling winter sport in which a rider descends a snow-covered slope while standing on a board that is attached to the feet. Sounds easy, right? Well, not exactly. While it might look and sound simple enough, there is a lot to snowboarding, and keeping your balance is one of the most difficult things to master. Staying upright while riding down a slope at speed is definitely not as it easy as it seems. As such, accidents do happen, and even those who have been snowboarding for many years can suffer injuries from time to time.
Injuries are more common among those who are learning to snowboard, but there are a few things that can be done to avoid them. Below we have listed just a few examples.
Wrist Injuries
Wrist injuries are the most common and are often caused by riders breaking their own falls with outstretched arms. This is a natural reaction when you fall, and it can be difficult to fight against it. However, learning how to fall can save you from the worst injuries. It is a good idea to wear wrist guards but also to get into the habit of pulling your hands into your body when you fall.
Head Injuries
Head injuries are also quite common, particularly among new snowboarders. It is for this reason that a helmet is considered an essential piece of equipment. Until you learn how to balance on the board, falling forwards or backwards can be quite common. Not wearing a helmet is not cool, and it will increase the chances of serious head injuries.
Spinal Injuries
A spinal injury is rare for a new snowboarder, unless of course they try to do tricks beyond their capability. Injuries to the spine are usually caused by a snowboarder doing a jump and landing awkwardly. While rare, it is not unheard of for a jump to go so disastrously wrong that the snowboarder suffers a life-changing injury to their spine. Accidents do happen, but the best way to avoid spinal injuries is to avoid jumps that you are not comfortable doing.
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries are often caused by twisting awkwardly. Those who wear hard boots to protect their ankles might find that they are more prone to knee injuries. Collisions with other snowboarders can also cause injuries to the knee. To reduce the chance of such an injury, it is a good idea to wear a supportive knee brace that can help keep the joint stable.
Keep Your Board in Good Condition
Once you have learned how to snowboard, you will find it easier to keep upright on the board and the chances of falling will be lower. The experts at Canyon Sports say that regular snowboard tunes will keep your board running smoothly on the slopes and will help keep injuries to a minimum.
Maintain Your Fitness
Something else that you might not have considered is that your risk of injury on the slopes is higher if you are out of shape. When you are not snowboarding, it is important to continue with a different type of exercise that will strengthen muscles and improve your cardio fitness.
Conclusion
Snowboarding accidents are not uncommon and the only way to really avoid them is to avoid snowboarding altogether. Nevertheless, if you love snowboarding but want to reduce your chances of injury, you should always wear protective equipment such as wrist guards and helmets, and never engage in jumps that are beyond your capability. Staying in shape will also help, as will ensuring that your board is in good condition.
