Old Man Army Boot Camp

Core exercises have come full circle in the last few years. Gone are they days of endless sets of crunches with feet raised and immobilized on a bench, instead replace by an old school desire to work the abdominals, lower back muscles and hips in dynamic and varied positions. Which is great for snowboarding, because that's what snowboarders need each and every run - and as someone who has had his share of flat landings, a strong core is your first line of defense against season sapping back injuries.

Try the following exercises regularly to tune up these important muscles in time for the season.

After a 5-10 minute overall warm up, perform the following routine on a mat or comfortable floor surface

5 sets of

1. 30 full sit ups (Keep stomach tight and knees bent at 45 degrees lower until shoulder blades touch the floor then raise chest to knees while keeping feet flat on the floor)
2. 20 Bicycle situps (Raise feet to 90 degree angle from hips , then slowly bring right knee towards chest while bringing left elbow towards knee while twisting slightly towards body centre. Lower leg and elbow and repeat with opposite leg and arm. This counts as 1 rep.)
3. 10 Superman extensions (Lying on your stomach, with straight legs raise your heels 20 centimetres from the ground while simultaneously arching your lower back and raising your arms off the floor towards the ceiling. For a greater challenge, bring arms to in front of shoulders and head)

Rest 1 minute between each set and repeat

There are a myriad of exercises that can be performed for abdominals, and Swiss balls and lumber supporters can also be used to great effect. The important factor is to work within your ability range and to keep at it, and soon you will have the results and the season you were hopng for!