SELF MASSAGE FOR SNOWBOARDERS

 

There’s nothing quite like taking time out, treating your body and getting a massage. Ironing out aches and pains and helping your body feel fresh before your snowboard holiday is the best preparation you can do! We all know snowboarding can take its toll on your body so it’s key to have your muscles feeling great before you head off for your snowboard trip!

It’s Lockdown 2.0 and massage is temporarily off. Now more than ever it’s time to give your body the bien-être it needs! Soon, massage will be back, but until then try out these helpful at home self massage techniques getting your body ready for some snowboarding! 

 

Tools You Will Need

• Hands
• Foam Roller
• Tennis Ball

 

 

Things to keep in mind

• Stretching will prolong the benefits of self massage
• Use a medium to firm pressure, it’s best to start soft and work up to a stronger pressure that your body is comfortable with
• The best benefits will come if you do these twice per day
• Do each of these self massage techniques for a few minutes at a time. There’s no correct order!
• Find the area that is tight within the muscle group and stick with it, deep breaths will help release the tension and take away the pain

 

Neck

Tool: Hands

Falling when snowboarding can take its toll on your neck, whether this is on the piste, spinning in the park or in the backcountry. It’s really easy to strain your neck when snowboarding so it’s super important to soften up the muscles before your trip. To massage, place your fingers where your neck meets your shoulders, gently squeeze and hold. Then lift your fingers and repeat this on a higher part of the muscle. You can also move your shoulders down, forwards and backwards to help the muscles move under your hands. Rotating your head to look left then right will also increase the massage.

 

Upper Back

Tool: Tennis Ball

Anyone who works at a desk knows how upper back strain feels. It’s no fun & having this pain during your snowboarding holiday will restrict your movement and hold your progression back! Place a tennis ball between your shoulder blade and spine, stand against a wall, stretch the same shoulder and roll this up and down the wall putting medium to firm pressure.

 

Lower Back

Tool: Foam roller

Snowboarding entails lots of bending down. Softening and lengthening the muscles of your lower back before your trip will really help ease the movement of doing up your bindings!

Place a foam roller on your lower back and stand against a wall, with a medium to firm pressure roll this foam roller up and down the wall with your lower back. If you find any areas of particular tightness stick with them and take some deep breaths until the tension releases.

 

Glutes and Hips

Tool: Foam Roller and Tennis Ball. 

Glutes and hips get super tight when snowboarding. You’re needing top power, balance and control output, so prep your glutes and hips ready for this!! Get down to the ground, use your foam roller for glues and a tennis ball for hips, roll the muscles out and loosen the areas up. Any tightness will restrict power and strength from the muscle.

 

Legs

Tool: Foam Roller and Tennis Ball

Without stating the obvious, your legs take a pounding when snowboarding! Learning to snowboard, snowboarding in power, freestyle snowboarding, whatever level you are at you ask a lot from your legs when snowboarding! For hamstrings, quads and IT band use a foam roller, get down on the ground and roll the length of the muscle. For your calfs, use a tennis ball and roll across the muscle, moving the tennis ball slightly down or up your leg after each movement. Stick with areas of tension, it might initially be tight but be patient and the tension will dissolve.

 

Feet

Tool: Tennis Ball

You’re about to squeeze your feet into snowboard boots for a week and put way more strain through them then normal. Place a tennis ball under your foot, you can do this standing or sitting (a great tip is to do this at the dinner table during eating). Roll the ball around different areas of your foot working out the strains and softening the muscles.

 

Make a ‘Get Ready For Snowboarding’ plan ahead of your snowboard holiday and get your body ready for the slopes!! These simple massage techniques will get your feeling fresh and prepared for snowboarding whilst massage is off the cards.

 

Martha is available in Morzine, Les Gets and the surrounding villages for mobile massage during your holiday.

mpmassagetherapy.com

info@mpmassagetherapy.com

+33(0)771816389

 

Have you booked your trip yet? MINT has a huge range of camps and courses, get in touch directly to discuss which lessons would be most suited to you!