Snowboarding is one of the most thrilling winter sports to engage in. The adrenaline rush from the risky turns and the free and uncontrolled slopes adds to the thrill and adventure of this sport. Snowboarding is also a great way to build your lower body muscles. This is because the primary muscles you engage with while snowboarding are your glutes, quadriceps (thigh muscles), and gastrocnemii (calf muscles). Considering the beating your lower body takes during a snowboarding session, it is no wonder why you may experience leg pain after snowboarding, especially if you are a beginner to this sport or if you do not regularly work out your lower body. This lower leg pain while snowboarding can ruin the thrill of snowboarding. But before you chuck your bindings and boots out, try these simple home remedies for lower leg pain, R. I. C. E., to quickly recover after snowboarding.
 

Home Remedies for Lower Leg Pain: R. I. C. E.

R: Rest

The first way to deal with calf cramps after snowboarding is to rest for a day or two and protect the sore or injured area. Resting will allow your lower body muscles to recover as quickly as possible and allow you to hit the slopes again as soon as possible. It is important to note, however, that resting for too long can be counter productive. Not only will resting for too long prevent you from re-living the thrill of snowboarding, but it would also weaken your muscles which are no longer being used as much.
 

I: Ice

Another great lower leg pain treatment at home is to use cold therapy; for example applying an ice pack to the sore or injured area. Cold therapy will cause the blood vessels around the sore or injured area to constrict, reducing the pain from inflammation. However, applying ice packs directly onto the skin for a long period of time may damage the delicate skin tissues. To avoid this, it is best to cover the ice pack with a light, absorbent towel and limit cold compresses to 10 to 20 minutes at a time.

 

C: Compression

Applying pressure to the affected area can also heal snowboarding leg pain. Wrapping the sore or injured area with an elastic medical bandage can prevent or limit swelling. (Be careful not to wrap these bandages too tightly, though, as this may cut off blood flow which may actually worsen the pain and delay recovery.) Similarly, using recovery tools, such as SPRYNG can heal snowboarding leg cramps. With its active compression technology, SPRYNG helps reduce the pooling of blood in the legs, therefore improving blood circulation to the entire lower body and greatly reducing leg pain after snowboarding. An added benefit of using SPRYNG is that you do not have to stay in one position for a long period of time. This means that you can use SPRYNG laying down, sitting down, standing up, or even walking around. The tighter you wrap SPRYNG, the better the pre-tensioning.

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E: Elevate

If you experience lower leg pain after a long day out on the slopes, try elevating your calves on pillows. This is a great home remedy for leg pain below the knee as, much like compression wraps, it reduces swelling around the sore or injured area by making it harder for the blood to reach this area. To minimize swelling as much as possible, try keeping your calves at or above the level of your heart. 
 
 

Additional Ways to Deal with Snowboarding Leg Pain

By practicing the home remedies above when you experience leg pain after snowboarding, you will be able to recover as soon as possible and not have to give up snowboarding. Of course, you can couple R. I. C. E. with other home remedies for lower leg pain, such as stretching before and after snowboarding or using over-the-counter painkillers. Long term factors may also reduce or prevent soreness after snowboarding, such as maintaining a healthy diet or consistently working out your lower body muscles.