Archive for category: snowboarding fitness

Exploring CBD for Snowboard Athletes

Since the legalization of cannabis in Canada, there’s been an explosion of research in the medicinal effects of CBD. With the on-going physical demands that snowboarding takes on the body, interest in CBD for snowboard athletes is growing.

This has made me curious and I wanted to investigate the legitimacy of using CBD supplements in snowboarding. Some questions came to mind, such as:

  • Who is CBD best suited for?
  • What kind of CBD products are there and where can you buy them?
  • How exactly does taking CBD affect the body?
  • And, is it even helpful for snowboarding?

My research lead me to understand that CBD for snowboard athletes is primarily an alternative method to treating pain. It’s often recommended to older snowboarders to help with recovery between sessions by using it as a muscle relaxant.

Traditionally, pain medication is made from synthetic or manmade ingredients. Therefore, CBD has become accepted as a natural or organic supplement for pain management. Although CBD can come in the form of edibles, dried herb or oil, it is most often purchased as an oil. It can be consumed on its own or added to smoothies or food.

What is CBD and Who is it Best Suited for?

cbd for snowboardersCBD stands for cannabidiol, which can be derived from the hemp of marijuana plants. CBD oil is made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant and then diluting it with a carrier like coconut oil or hemp seed oil.

Despite coming from marijuana plants, it does not get you high. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive ingredient found in cannabis, which means it causes the sensation of getting high that’s often associated with cannabis. However, CBD is not psychoactive.

Hemp-based CBD oils rarely have higher than a 0.03% THC content. So the possibility of getting high is incredibly slim to none.

A young snowboarder probably doesn’t have much need for CBD. Being young comes with virility, which means most young adults probably don’t require any supplements or aid for pain relief or pain management. Proper diet, exercise and rest should be all that’s needed to recover from a day of snowboarding in order to do it again day after day.

However, for an older snowboarder, having an all-natural remedy like CBD can be helpful. Being outdoors on snow for the majority of the day is demanding on the body. Especially if it’s cold and sitting on the chairlift can cause the body to become stiff and achey. CBD can help reduce inflammation and soreness while trying to rest and recover.

The 3 Types of CBD Oil

Full-Spectrum CBD – Products that include every component of the cannabis plant, including trace amounts of THC (up to 0.03%)

Broad-Spectrum CBD – Products that include every component of the cannabis plant (other than THC)

CBD Isolate – These are products that are 100% CBD with no other compounds from the hemp/cannabis plant included

Different CBD Products Available

cbd-lotionCBD Cream

These are topical creams and lotions that are ideal for targeting pain relief in specific locations. You can rub it on sore muscles or joints to relieve pain and inflammation. Since creams can be directly absorbed into the skin, it provides relatively quick muscle relief in the targeted area.

CBD Edibles | CBD Gummies | CBD Drinks | Molecule CBDUKCBD Edibles & Drinks

Some snowboarders may feel anxious before competitions and have a preference for CBD edibles and drinks. Edibles and drinks can sometimes be infused with other natural compounds. For example, a CBD drink may combine 20mg of CBD with guarana, ginseng and caffeine. The benefit is that you’ll get a balanced dose of energy that doesn’t come with the jitters and palpitations that are common with energy drinks. Therefore, some CBD products can provide pain management, energy and focus for snowboarding. However, it’s generally thought that the effects of edibles and drinks take a bit longer to kick in because they need to be metabolized by the body.

cbd-oilCBD Oils

Another highly effective and fast-acting method of pain relief is CBD oil. It’s usually consumed orally, by placing drops under the tongue for fast absorption in the blood stream. Taking a dropper full prior to a day of snowboarding could help to keep muscles and joints primed while aiding in rest and recovery afterwards.

Alternatively, CBD oil can be taken after a session to help speed up your recovery process by keeping inflammation down and getting you back on the slopes again.

How May CBD Help Snowboard Athletes?

Quicker Recovery

As a snowboarder, there are times when you wonder how you managed to make it this far without completely falling apart. Sore legs, cramps, and anything else you can imagine will try to hinder you from having a great time out there on the slopes. If you’re serious about your riding and want to be in peak physical condition for each session, CBD oil can help you recover much faster.

A Clear Mind

Riding with a clear mind is something that we all wish we could experience. Unfortunately, life can throw many things at us and prevent us from focusing when it matters most. If you find that your mind wanders and you’re a bit foggy while riding, CBD for snowboard athletes can help you concentrate on your goals. Studies have shown that CBD oil may improve your memory, sense of focus, and even lighten your mood.

Boosts Energy Levels

Having an endless amount of energy will always be beneficial during intense snowboarding sessions. Just shredding down a hill itself can be exhilarating, but also physically demanding. When you start adding tricks into the mix, you’re bound to be exhausted by the end of the day. The recovery period between sessions is critical to maintaining high energy levels for the next session, and CBD oil may assist with that.

Reduces Anxiety

Anxiety can cause riders to second-guess themselves, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my past mistakes, it’s that you never want to do that. Confidence and feeling capable are necessary when you’re trying to learn new tricks and push your limits as a snowboarder! CBD oil for snowboard athletes is perfect because it gives you a chance to alleviate any anxiety you may associate with snowboarding.

Where Can You Buy CBD Products?

If you live in Canada, you can buy both THC and CBD products from any cannabis stores near you. Each store will carry different products, so it’s best to go into a location and talk to the staff. They’ll be able to recommend products that are best suited for you based on your needs. Alternatively, you can also buy CBD products online from OCS if you live in Ontario. If you live in another province in Canada, please consult your province’s cannabis supplier.

CBD Can Be Helpful For Some Snowboarders

Whether you end up going with CBD topical creams or prefer using edibles, there are a plethora of different ways to introduce CBD oil into your snowboarding routine. CBD oil for snowboard athletes is a great way to keep you energized and ready to go all season long! Join the pain relief revolution and start using an all-natural (and holistic) option that can make your aches and foggy mind disappear.

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How to Track Snowboarding Exercise on Fitbit

how to track snowboarding fitbit exercisesHave you ever wondered how to track a snowboarding exercise on a Fitbit Charge 2, 3, 4 or 5?

You’ve probably noticed that out of the box the Fitbit only has tracking for the following exercises: Run, Swim, Weights and Walk.

Well there is a way to track a snowboarding exercise on your Fitbit. Here’s what you need:

  1. Your Fitbit tracker
  2. Logged into your Fitbit app
  3. Logged into your Fitbit profile on a web browser

If you have those three things you can setup tracking for snowboard exercises on your Fitbit.

The Scenario

You’ve been wearing your Fitbit like you do everyday. It’s tracking your heat rate, sleeps and exercise. But today you went snowboarding and never tracked the activity to an Exercise. When you look at your Fitbit app you can see your heart rate was tracked and you were in a fat burn zone, with a some cardio and peak zones, for a couple hours during the day. How do you track this data as a snowboarding exercise on your Fitbit?

The Solution

Sometimes your Fitbit will track an activity that you’ve done and by default will categorize it as a Walk. Within the app you can edit the Exercise and recategorize it. You can do this inside your Fitbit app.

However, some users are unable to search and select “snowboarding” as an option.

Here’s what you can do instead…

Step 1 – Log into your Fitbit Account (web not app)

You need to create the exercise listing for “Snowboarding” in your Fitbit app.

To do this you must go to your profile’s dashboard on a web browser (not the app). You can get their by visiting the Fitbit home page and then clicking on the User Account icon in the top right corner. You can also Fitbit login here.

Once logged in you should see your dashboard.

how to track snowboarding exercise on fitbit step 1

Step 2 – Access Recent Exercises

On the dashboard you should be able to see the Recent Exercise tile. If you hover over the tile, a thin grey bar will drop down from the bottom.

How to track Snowboarding Exercise on Fitbit step 2

Click on “See More” which is on the right side.

Step 3 – Access See More Data

A new page will open.

 

how to track snowboarding exercise on fitbit step 3Scroll to the bottom of this page where you’ll see a section titled Activities. It’s a box at the bottom right. Within the box is a blue text link for “Create custom activity” that you’ll want to click.how to track snowboarding exercise on fitbit step 4

Step 4 – Create Custom Activity

Fill in your custom activity name.

how to track snowboarding exercise on fitbit step 5

Then you have to fill out an activity log. In order to do this, refer to your Fitbit app. You’re going to have to go to the Heart Rate page in the app.

Step 5 – Log an Activity for Snowboarding

First, go to your Heart Rate. Look at your heart rate data during the activity that you want to track as “Snowboarding”. You’ll be able to estimate the start time of your activity. You should also be able to see the duration of how long you were active for and the calories burned. Use this data to input “start time”, “duration” and “calories” in the form fields.

When finished click “Log” and you’re done. By doing this your Fitbit will be better able to understand your hear rate patterns during snowboarding. I know that may have seemed like quite a bit of work to set up, but you only have to do it once.

Now, whenever you go snowboarding and your Fitbit tracks the exercise you’ll be able to categorize it as “Snowboarding” in the app.

Alternative Method to Getting Fitbit to Track Snowboarding Exercises

Now that you have “Snowboarding” setup as a category in your Fitbit you can start using it.

However, since snowboarding isn’t one of the 4 trackable exercises in the Fitbit tracker, I think it’s best to track your activity to “Walk”. After you’ve completed the activity and you’ve synced the data form the tracker to the app, you should be able to tap on “Categorize Exercise”.

From here, “Snowboarding” will now be searchable.

If anyone has found a better way of tracking snowboarding or skiing exercises on the Fitbit Charge 2, Charge 3, Charge 4 or Charge 5, please feel free to comment below.

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