# Old Injuries, New rider



## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

your knees are going to be relatively safe in snowboarding, especially if you don't plan on doing a ton of freestyle stuff and jumps.

most important advice I can give you to prevent injuries is take a lesson, or two. One or two private or semi-private lessons should give you a solid enough foundation to develop your skills and will help keep your falling down to a minimum; and there's plenty of data out there that suggests you're at greater risk of injury if you've never taken a lesson.


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## mrjimyjohn (Dec 18, 2010)

Maybe find some low profile knee braces to ride in?


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

david_z said:


> ...most important advice I can give you to prevent injuries is take a lesson, or two. One or two private or semi-private lessons should give you a solid enough foundation to develop your skills and will help keep your falling down to a minimum; and there's plenty of data out there that suggests you're at greater risk of injury if you've never taken a lesson.


Definitely Good Advice!



mrjimyjohn said:


> Maybe find some low profile knee braces to ride in?


If not a brace, maybe consider some of the knee pads available for boarders. Especially if it's icy! I took a few falls on the ice my first season and spent a few days with swollen knee caps! (...although I understand that with most 1st time boarders, It's the Ass that usually takes the worst of it!)


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## Dysantic (Oct 11, 2012)

Just make sure you are in shape before you strap on a board and try to conquer the world. The worst thing you can do so suit up while in horrible shape and hurt yourself.

Working at a physiotherapy clinic I see more people come in after hurting themselves on the first day of practice or their first game of the season because they thought they could just walk on the field and run everyone's show. Unless your 12 years old, chances are your body isn't going to be able to adapt as well as you think it will.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

mrjimyjohn said:


> Maybe find some low profile knee braces to ride in?


This.

The other thing that is kind of obvious is to ride within your abilities, especially when it comes to speed.

Everyone, old and young alike, fall into this trap as gravity sucks them down the hill and going fast is so much fun. Its like the advice on all the park signs "look before you leap" and "easy style it".

Finally, what we do is inherently risky, probably more so than your "contact" sports. The only thing you can do to change or mitigate that is to not participate.


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## jbernste03 (Aug 20, 2012)

*My knee problems*

Just my 2 cents - I had a lot of injuries due to impacts to my knee, both skiing and boarding. I cant afford to to have any more bad impacts on my knees. 

I bought under armour Volleyball knee pads...they have been amazinggg.. they have definently prevented any furthur injuries..plus I dont notice them at all while riding.

So i dunno, maybe a brace would be good for you if it is not an impact related injury, but pads work wonders if it is impact related..ive have eached knee drained 2-3 times


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## snuff33 (Oct 22, 2012)

Thank you everyone for giving me a hand with my dilemma, I appreciate the advice I will definitely keep things low key in terms of riding. I don't plan on doing any jumps as it is my first year, but thank you david z for your advice and I will definitely be looking into some beginner lessons to keep myself out of trouble. Everyone here makes a valid point and thank you for getting many of my questions off of my back. 

Thanks to everyone else as well for your advice and your experience.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Just to add...assuming ur relatively active, biking is good for strengthening the stuff around your knees, also lunges and stairs. Learn how to fall...tuck and roll, hit with big body parts...like in martial arts.


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## Cycle4Fun (Feb 22, 2012)

lessons, lessons, lesssons until you can link turns comfortable with proper form. They will help a ton and you'll learn to control you speed safely. Unless you are doing freestyle, you're unlikely to hurt your knees. Most likely serious injury as a new rider are a broken wrist or head injury if you get out of control or unlucky in a fall. Lessons greatly reduce that.

Buy a helmet. Your noggin is priceless. Knees can be somewhat replaced.

The worst injury I had my first season was my tail bone. Flatbasing down to the lodge for a brew. Got lazy and caught my heel-side edge. Tailbone directly on ice. I skipped the beer and had two shots for major pain relief.


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## KnoxBoarderX (Aug 26, 2011)

It really depends on what you are worried about with your knees. If it's impact, use some good knee pads. On the other hand, if it's your ligaments in your knee, get to the gym. 

The key to healthy knees is strong quads and hamstrings. Flexibility in your hamstrings is really helpful too. Do squats, lunges, step ups, box jumps, jump tucks, hamstring curls. Exercises that will strengthen your legs, will help save your knees.


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## snuff33 (Oct 22, 2012)

KnoxBoarderX said:


> It really depends on what you are worried about with your knees. If it's impact, use some good knee pads. On the other hand, if it's your ligaments in your knee, get to the gym.
> 
> The key to healthy knees is strong quads and hamstrings. Flexibility in your hamstrings is really helpful too. Do squats, lunges, step ups, box jumps, jump tucks, hamstring curls. Exercises that will strengthen your legs, will help save your knees.


I was wondering if you had any good exercise that you could direct me too, I have a few vague ideas on what I could do. But I would rather have some sort of direction I could work towards to. 

Thanks again everybody for the support and help
-Snuff33


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## KnoxBoarderX (Aug 26, 2011)

snuff33 said:


> I was wondering if you had any good exercise that you could direct me too, I have a few vague ideas on what I could do. But I would rather have some sort of direction I could work towards to.
> 
> Thanks again everybody for the support and help
> -Snuff33


Here's a link for you to check out: Bodybuilding.com - Snowboarders Get Ready - Exercises To Prepare For The Slopes!


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## lonerider (Apr 10, 2009)

snuff33 said:


> I was wondering if you had any good exercise that you could direct me too, I have a few vague ideas on what I could do. But I would rather have some sort of direction I could work towards to.
> 
> Thanks again everybody for the support and help
> -Snuff33


You mentioned contact sports... by which I am assuming you mean football, hockey, or martial arts. If so you should be capable of doing the following works (they would be harder for someone who is not athletic).


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