As a physio Osteopath and sport massage therapist in courchevel during the winter season, I can enjoy between appointments some good snowboarding sessions. After so many seasons here, I can tell that I know the slopes like my pockets even though I m still discovering places or new turns. But I got the feeling sometimes that my level and my ride are turning in circles. It’s really empirical and not scientific based but I develop a few tricks to stat on fresh new basis and improve my riding.
During my physiotherapy and osteopathy studies, I’ve learned how important it is to stimulate your brain and your body. Being exposed to challenges or learning process is the best way to keep young and develop your skills. Therefore I highly recommend to keep in mind that approach when you feel stagnant in your rides. An easy way is to modify your perception and feelings when on the slopes. In my case when I got stuck into that that stagnant feeling I use my board differently. I m a carver and back country snowboarder, to feel fresh I change my board, I switch to a pure freestyle one instead of my pure carve speed Lamborghini board. I got then a new feeling under my feet which gives me new input in my carving style. The speed is not the same, the body position is not the same and so on. I can as well change my bindings angles, my bindings settings, the stance. It gives fresh sensations.
Ride different slopes !! Or even change resorts !! Okay Courchevel ski resort is our lovely best mate. But going to the others valleys will give you a fresh new look and don’t hesitate to explore new areas where you never go to. We all have that routine, in my case I finish an appointment for Physio in Courchevel or work as an osteopath in Courchevel I have the same routine, same lifts, same turn on that slope etc etc. Changing resorts puts me in an different approach and there’s always a new area to discover. Try meribel, Val Thorens, you ll get new feelings on your snowboard.
Ride in bad weather !!!! We have in our body a system called proprioception. Based on all our senses, proprioception informs our body on acceleration, movements, positions and so on. Physiotherapist and osteopath are using it a lot in rehab process or to improve performances. Riding during a foggy day or during this so called white day, enable us to improve our proprioceptive capacities therefore improve our ride. During thoses days your vision is useless, we ride using what informations are sent by our body to the brain, riding is difficult but back on a A frame day on the slopes of Courchevel I guarantee that your ride will be more precise and enjoyable.
Ride switch. I super hard especially if you got a directional board but again it will reset your body and make you progress.
if possible rent or borrow a totally different board.
Another trick is to call myfrenchphysio.com for a session of performance enhancement using physiotherapy and osteopathy technics!!:-)