Snowboarding Safety

Snowboarding has quickly become one of the most popular snow sports around. Like any other physical sport there is always a chance for injury. However if you take precautions and use protective gear you can protect yourself from serious injuries.

There are some injuries that are quite common in snowboarding and most involve the upper body. Sprains are very common. Fractures and contusions also occur. Injuries to the arm, wrist, elbow, and shoulder are common because when a snowboard wipes out he or she tends to fall either backwards or forwards and the first reflex is to extend your arms to stop the fall. This leads to injuries of the arms and shoulders. Falling backwards can also lead to head injuries, and any wipe out can lead to bruising.

If you are about to wipe out try to stop you reflective action of putting your arms out to break the fall. Rather keep your arms tucked in and roll with the fall. This distributes the impact over a larger portion of your body. Although you may have a few more bruises you may evade a broken wrist.

Lower body injuries are less common, but those that do occur usually affect the knee and the ankle. Ankle injuries such as sprains and fractures are quite common.

Advanced snowboarders tend to have more injuries because of the aerial moves, flips, and tricks they are doing. They are more likely to sustain serious injuries than a beginner because of the level of stunts they are performing. Occasionally a serious spinal or head injury does occur.

You can eliminate or reduce many snowboarding injuries by using the proper safety gear and taking safety precautions. Staying fit and flexible will help reduce the seriousness of injuries. If you are a beginner take a few lessons to get the hang of snowboarding and reduce the risk of injury, and lastly always wear proper safety gear.

A helmet is very important to protect you from head injury which is more common than you might think. There are various styles of helmets from very light to heavier helmets. Some of venting others do not. Some even have ear flaps. Whatever helmet style you choose just make sure it fits nice and snug and does not slip around.

Boots There are three different styles of snowboarding boots each providing different ankle support. Soft boots are used most often and provide sufficient stability. Hard boots are worn by racers and also provide ankle support. The hybrid boots have the comfort of the soft boot but the stability of the hard boot. Which ever style you choose make sure they fit snuggly and that there is no extra room in them. Be sure they provide ample ankle support and that you lace them tightly.

Wrist and elbow guards will protect your wrists and elbows from bruises and fractures. There are various styles available. Some fit over your gloves, others fit under.

Knee pads will protect your knees from bruising. If you have weak knee caps these are critical.

Tailbone pads help protect the tailbone and should always be worn by beginners who tend to fall backwards more often.

Goggles help keep the snow and wind out of your eyes. They also protect you from the bright sun and the glare improving your visibility. You goggles should fit snugly and they should be sprayed with an anti fogger.

You can wear padded jackets and pants to help prevent bruising and give you that little extra cushioning when you fall. Snowboarding is an exhilarating and fun sport that will keep you fit and active. Be sure you are able to enjoy it for years to come by playing safe.

Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. This means that as a publisher you may reprint the articles that are included in our site, as long as the article is unedited and the author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.