Running, hiking, climbing and surfing will strengthen weight-bearing muscles and help improve your sense of balance. Adding a regimen of sit ups, squats, wall sits and lunges will further strengthen your legs and abs and enhance your boarding experience. Oh, and don't forget the push-ups 'cause you'll be doing lots of those while you learn to board, whether you like it or not. Turning on a snowboard is reminiscent of a surfboard turn. Snowboarding is nothing like skateboarding although we know of some instructors who still throw the skateboard analogy out there.
Skateboarders tend to weight their back feet.
In snowboarding, you weight your front foot to start down the fall line and initiate a turn, just like in surfing when you learn to load the nose of the board at the top of a wave. Attitude and relaxation is half the battle. Positive attitude always succeeds because it will relax you. Tension is the enemy of natural movements. Stand on your heelside edge of the board when buckling in.