Hitting The Slopes This Winter? Get Ready to Feel the Burn
Skiing and snowboarding are both excellent ways to see some of the world’s most spectacular scenery whilst experiencing the rush of adrenaline that comes with descending a piste
Skiing and snowboarding are both excellent ways to spend a week or two in winter. They provide a chance to see some of the world’s most spectacular scenery, experience the rush of adrenaline that comes with descending a piste, and gain the satisfaction of honing a technical skill.
However, perhaps the most significant advantage of these two pastimes is that they provide an excellent workout. Let’s take a look at a few of the health benefits associated with ski holidays.
In the case of snowboarding, controlling your movements requires the use of just about every muscle from the legs up to the spine.
Full-Body Workout
Skiing and snowboarding engage just about every muscle group in the body. Specifically, they engage the core and the hips in a way that other forms of exercise do not. In the case of snowboarding, controlling your movements requires the use of just about every muscle from the legs up to the spine.
Of course, you’ll also be putting a strain on your heart and lungs, and thus, these activities can drive up your cardiovascular fitness over time. The faster you’re descending, and the less waiting you’re doing, the more intense the workout.
If you’re looking to lose weight, then you might find that a month or so on the slope will help you to do exactly that: both skiing and snowboarding burn off lots of calories – and the heavier you are to begin with, the more calories you’ll burn on your way down any given run.
Improved Balance and Coordination
During the first week or so of your time on the piste, you might find yourself wobbling and occasionally falling over. Over time, however, you’ll tend to stabilise. This is because you’ll learn to coordinate a range of different muscle groups, and the nerves that control those groups will be firing more often.
The balance you thereby attain will actually be useful when you return from the pistes. You’ll be more at ease with yourself, less likely to fall and suffer an injury, and your proprioception (that’s your ability to sense the position of your body in space) will improve, too.
During the first week or so of your time on the piste, you might find yourself wobbling and occasionally falling over. Over time, however, you’ll tend to stabilise.
Both skiing and snowboarding offer a natural kind of stress relief, along with other mental health benefits. From the incredible scenery to the full body workout, you’ll be sure to release plenty of endorphins.
Stress Relief
Like any form of exercise, both skiing and snowboarding offer a natural kind of stress relief, along with other mental health benefits. This is because physical activity causes your body to release endorphins, dopamine, and other hormones, which naturally bolster your state of mind and improve your mental clarity.
Mental Resilience
Learning to ski can be tough work. Learning to snowboard, arguably, is even tougher. But the process of building up these skills can be tremendously rewarding, in part because they are difficult to acquire.
Over time you’ll have to endure setbacks and challenges – and, possibly, injuries. But the mental resilience you build as a result of coping with these things can be invaluable.
Learning to ski can be tough work. Learning to snowboard, arguably, is even tougher.
But the process of building up these skills can be tremendously rewarding, in part because they are difficult to acquire.
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