Stiff & sore? This yoga sequence is your solution – Snowboarders Yoga

This yoga sequence is created for those who are a little tight in their body, but would like to ride better and for longer.

I’m too stiff to do yoga I hear you say? Honestly just the fact that you’re going out there, in the freezing cold, binding both of your feet onto a plank and essentially hurling yourself down a mountain. You’re pretty bad ass already and then a yoga session won’t seem so scary after that.

Just like snowboarding, you’ll have to practice again, to not only feel the benefits in your body, but also calming your mind and honestly you will feel much better. I promise 110%!

I don’t teach yoga to make people suffer, I teach yoga because of its many benefits that aren’t on just a physical level.

There are also the psychological benefits of yoga for snowboarders.

The mountain will always challenge you, whether you’re a beginner or a pro, whether it’s the weather changing abruptly, your friends saying that this run or park feature is easy, then you proceed to hit your shins on that pipe thing or you’re stuck in about 50 cm of snow, I have been there and its super frustrating.

In these situations, you can use yoga, you can breathe!

Yes I’m aware that you’re breathing as you’re reading this right now. However we don’t all use the full capacity of our breath to our advantage.

Quick Check How are you breathing? Are you breathing from just your chest, or are you breathing deeply from your stomach.

As we grow older, we become busier, we lose touch with our body and our breath. Deep breathing can help you in many a stressful situation.

Life will always happen and how you deal with it, will make a huge difference.

So you lost your friends, thinking you’re going to poop your pants from fear in the park or on that next run. Breathe!!

Snowboarding = a sore body

Whatever level of snowboarding you’re at, you’re inevitably going to get sore. For those of you wanting to get back on the mountain tomorrow, this sequence will warm up your body and soothe your muscles.

You want to ride for longer?

While also the main benefit of coming to somewhere like Myoko Kogen to ski or snowboard powder, is that there are plentiful of onsens (natural hot spring baths) around the area.

This yoga sequence, made for beginners of yoga and specifically for stiff snowboarders.

Stiff skiers, please be patient you’re very own yoga poses will be coming in a new post soon.

Also don’t forget that it’ll be cold in winter, so your body needs some extra time to warm up.

Mobility Doctor, DrJenfit, recommends that you should always take 2 minutes to warm up before and after any activity! Do any of us do this, I also forget to do this at times, hey we’re all human beings.

This sequence is specifically created to warm you up, from your feet, up to your neck.

Make sure to eat after this sequence, yoga is best done before eating (allow 1-2 hours between meals to practice).

Finally please share this blog post with friends who need a little TLC for their stiff body, so they don’t get injured and can’t moan about being sore!

I’ve also got this sequence on instagram if that’s your social media of choice, here’s the link here and make sure to subscribe and comment. Don’t be shy, say Hello!

7 yoga poses for stiff snowboarders 

Level: Beginners

Warming up the wrists & ankles

You’ll be using your wrists to get up from the ground and possible when falling, make sure they’re warmed up to avoid injury. Your ankles will also be moving the whole day, snowboard boots may be come comfortable than ski boots, but you’ll be feeling it in those ankles after snowboarding.

1. Ankles & wrists circles clockwise – x5

• Bring your arms and feet out in front of you. Moving only your hands and feet, move them in a circle in a clockwise motion.
• As you move upwards, breathing in through the nose and breathing out as you move downwards through your nose, do this x5.
• Do the same thing anticlockwise x5.

Warming up knees

Your knees do so much everyday for you, but especially when snowboarding you’ll be needing those (get the pun) to direct where you’ll be moving.

2. Knee circles

• Holding the right knee up, place your hands under your right thigh. Make your spine long. Make circles with your foot clockwise, warming up the knee.
• Breathing in through the nose as you move up, breathing out through the nose as you move down – do this x5
• Repeat on your left side, x5.

Warming up the hip

That hip joint will be working throughout your time on the mountain, warming it up even gently with this pose, will help lubricate that join, so you can feel those hips, which don’t lie, when they’re in pain of course.

3. Gentle Hip Opener

• Holding the right foot in towards your chest with your left hand and holding your right knee with your right hand.
• Slowly swing the leg back, breathing out through the nose as you move backwards.
• As you swing the leg back to the front, breathe in through the nose.
• Repeat this x5.
• Do the same action with your left leg.

Warming up the spine

Your spine will be twisted, bent forward when reaching for your binding and maybe going backwards, if you’re unfortunate enough to experience a scorpion. Get ready for this by warming that spine up beforehand!

4. Seated Side Twist

• In easy pose, or a comfortable seated cross legged position.
• Place the right arm, above the left knee, left arm behind your back, make your spine long, looking behind you, gently pressing your right hand on the left knee.
• Take one breath here, in and out through your nose.
• On your next breath in, come back to the center, breathing out let your hands go back to the centre.
• Breathing in, place your left arm on your right knee, placing your right hand in the middle, behind your back, breathing out and twist back gently.
• Stay here for one breath. As you breathe in, return to the front and let your arms rest.

5. Forward Fold

• In easy pose, or a comfortable seated cross legged position.
• Breathing in make your spine long, then breathing out, place your hands in front of your legs, bring your upper body, down towards the floor as much as is comfortable for you.
• Stay here for one, grounding, lovely breath.
• Breathing in, slowly come back up to your cross legged position.

6. Seated Back Bend

• In easy pose, or a comfortable seated cross legged position.
• Place your hands behind your back, on fingertips is fine.
• Push those elbows in together, which will open your chest, like you’re puffing your chest out.
• Breathe out, through the nose, stay here for one breath.
• Breathing in, through the nose, come back up back to your cross legged sitting position.

Warming up the neck

As you’re a smart person, you’ll most probably be wearing a helmet, but just in case as you’ll need your neck to direct that body, where you want while snowboarding, let’s warm it up and avoid any discomfort, at the end of your day on the snow.

7. Neck circles

• In easy pose, or a comfortable seated cross legged position.
• Place your hands facing down, on top of your knees.
• Move the head in a clockwise motion, look up towards the sky, breathing in through the nose.
• Move your head down, breathing out through your nose.
• Repeat this x5 clockwise.
• Repeat again, anticlockwise x5.

Made it to the bottom!

The sequence above is on instagram , click here to Follow Me and don’t forget to say Hello!

Make sure to share these yoga poses to a friend complaining of being sore after snowboarding.