I have been snowboarding since 5 years old and worked as an instructor for 10 years.
And one thing I can tell you is that people who practice year-round learn the faster and ride better.
Fortunately, there are 11 ways to practice snowboarding at home without snow:
- Strengthen your muscles
- Improve your cardio fitness
- Get a balance board
- Watch instructional videos
- Read ‘how to’ guides and manuals
- Improve your flexibility
- Snowboard in your living room
- Visualisation and mindset training
- Try another board sport
- Learn tricks on a trampoline
- Build a rail in your backyard
The rest of this article dives deep into each method. Let’s go!
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How to get better at snowboarding at home
Strengthen your muscles
Being strong improves your snowboard performance.
Having the core strength to stay upright when you make a mistake can get you out of a lot of trouble.
Strong legs don’t get tired easily. And you will be able to hit more bumps and jumps without buckling.
I also feel like having strong arms is underrated. Who wants to be tired when carrying their board around the resort? Not me!
My suggestion is that you get into the gym during the off-season. Squats, deadlifts and lunges are all great exercises for snowboarders.
It’s best to use free-weight exercises. They will train your stabilising muscles and improve your balance.
But don’t think you can’t train if you don’t have access to a gym.
A good home bodyweight workout can be almost as good. Practicing pilates or yoga is also a great way to train balance and core strength.
My advice is that anything is better than nothing! I can tell who is in shape during my snowboard lessons by who performs best. It has a massive impact.
Improve your cardio fitness
Snowboarding can be lung-busting. Especially when you’re learning new skills.
There is nothing worse than being gassed and needing a break half way down the slope.
Riders with good cardio can snowboard all day. And they fall and get up quicker as well.
Your performance will get worse when you’re tired. But if you have great cardio fitness you will be able to ride for longer.
Pick any endurance sport that trains your cardio system. Running and cycling are the most popular options.
I know that hiking is a great choice for off-season snowboarders. It keeps your heart rate at the right level to train your cardiovascular system for riding. And the ups and downs build muscular endurance. Plus you will be in the great outdoors!
Get a balance board
Balance boards have been around for decades. Yet they are still so underrated.
A good balance board improves your coordination. And strengthens the small stabilising muscles that help you stay upright.
They also provide a good workout. Especially if you’re not very good!
One tip I have is to practice squatting up and down while balancing. This exercise is challenging at first – but will improve your skills.
Balance boards are great because you can use them in the living room while watching TV.
My favourite balance board is the CoolBoard. It’s made by a reputable company that’s been around for a long time. And the quality is awesome.
Watch instructional videos
You will find tons of videos online showing you how to snowboard.
You can learn everything from strapping on your board to carving black diamonds in the comfort of your living room.
I recommend watching a variety of snowboard videos on each topic. Every instructor uses a different teaching method – you need the find the one that works for you.
Make sure a certified instructor made the video you are studying. Anyone can make a video telling you what to do. That doesn’t mean they’re an expert.
Read ‘how to’ guides and manuals
There is some great informational content on the web teaching you how to snowboard.
We have guides on key topics. Including how to stop for beginners and the best snowboarding technique for moguls.
New snowboard instructors study a huge written manual. This gives them a basic grounding in technique and performance.
So it goes to show – not everything is about video! Even professionals still learn from written words.
The key is to get your information from reputable sources. Make sure a certified snowboard instructor wrote the article you are studying.
Improve your flexibility
Flexibility training is one of the best ways to practice snowboarding at home.
Most riders underestimate the importance of flexibility.
Having good mobility in your joints reduces your risk of injury. You can bend more directions without breaking – like an elastic band!
Having good flex also improves ride performance. A wider ankle range of motion gives you more freedom to manipulate the board.
And hip flexibility lets you squat up and down further. This is crucial for absorbing bumps and maintaining balance on crud.
There are tons of flexibility routines online. I recommend following one for 15 minutes each evening before bed.
This is a great way to wind down from your day and get better at snowboarding. Win, win!
Snowboard in your living room
The living room can be a great place to learn freestyle tricks.
Strap on your board while standing on the carpet. Put on an instructional video and learn how to rotate your board through 180 and 360 spins.
You can also learn the right ollie and nollie technique. Plus get a feel for the flex of your board and feel of your equipment.
Wearing your boots at home is another underrated way to learn without snow. Equipment is massive for your performance. And the more you wear your boots – the more awesome they will feel.
Visualisation and mindset training
That’s right. You can think yourself to becoming a better snowboarder!
Athletes have used visualisation to improve performance for a long time. And there is no reason why it cannot work for you.
You should pair this technique with reading instructional content. That way you can read about the skills and then imagine yourself performing on the snow.
I have used this technique during my snowboarding career and it has helped me immensely. Especially before competitions or performance evaluations.
I also recommend getting your mindset right.
Training your mental skills has become a popular way to improve performance.
Improving your ability to switch into a mindful state is useful in tough situations. It dispels fear and allows you to focus on performance in the moment.
Self-talk is also huge for snowboarders. Making sure the voice in your head is positive builds confidence on the snow.
I meditate for 10 minutes per day and have seen great benefits in my life. And that includes snowboarding.
Try another board sport
Skateboarding is a great way to improve your snowboard skills.
It requires balance and coordination. Plus the basic stance is the same.
But the best way to learn snowboarding is by riding a mountain board.
These boards are like snowboards. Except they have large rubber wheels designed to roll over grass.
I used to do a lot of mountainboarding as a kid and it brought my snowboarding along leaps and bounds.
Another option is surfing. The technique is a little different but you will still train your balance. Surfing is an awesome workout as well – so you can get your strength and cardio up.
Learn tricks on a trampoline
Strapping on your board and getting on the trampoline is so much fun.
You can learn spins and flips with a safe landing. But make sure the board doesn’t bash you over the head.
Trampolining is also a great workout. It trains your legs and core strength. While also giving you a good cardio workout.
There are loads of videos online teaching you how to master tricks on the trampoline.
Definitely worth a go if you have one in your backyard.
Build a rail in your backyard
Want to learn how to ride rails on a snowboard? You can build one in your backyard!
There are plenty of instructional articles online teaching you how to make your own rail.
All you need is a grass hill and a few building materials.
You can hop on and off at the end. And have the benefit of a soft, grassy landing when you bail.
The best part is that it becomes a legit snowpark if you get some snow during the winter.
This is definitely my favourite way to practice snowboarding at home.
Final thoughts
You can get a lot better at snowboarding at home without snow.
Fitness is so important – yet it’s overlooked by most riders.
You should be training for the snowboard season year-round. Keeping yourself in good shape and practising balance will set you up for an awesome winter.
It will definitely pay off once you’re on the snow. I promise!
James
James is the founder of SnowSunSee. He started skiing when he was five years old and has been a qualified ski instructor for 8 years. He has taught skiing in many countries, including UK, Europe, Japan, China and Malaysia. When he’s not on the slopes, James spends his time travelling the world one trail at a time.
