5 Health Benefits of Skiing

If you are looking to go for a skiing holiday anytime soon, you probably want to perfect your technique on a ski run and catch a sun-kissed glow. Skiing is an activity performed for fun or sports in some of the heavy snowy regions in the world. Skiing in Austria and Italia are some of the destinations which are extremely popular with the skiing community as they are host to a number of professional skiing sporting events and regarded as one of the best places to go skiing due to their large snowy mountains with long and thrilling ski runs. However, while skiing is an activity done for leisure or competition, it can also be very beneficial to your health.

Several experts have found that 6 Hours of skiing can help you burn up to 3,000 calories. Other health benefits of skiing include; boosting your immune system, relieving depression, toning your stomach muscles, helping you to lose up to five pounds in a week, and many others.
Below are 5 main health benefits of skiing.

1. Weight Loss.

Fitness experts have found out that during a week’s skiing holiday, you can be able to lose up to five pounds. This is due to the fact that 3,000 calories can be burnt as a result of a typical skiing day which is far more than what a session in the gym can achieve. One of the experts also stated that the steeper the slope, the more calories are going to be burnt as the body has to work harder in order to maintain balance. Additionally, exposure to sub-zero temperatures will force your body to raise its own temperature by burning off more calories.

2. Improvement of the Cardiovascular System.

Whether you are new to skiing or experienced, your cardiovascular system will get a good workout on a ski run. An improved cardiovascular system will lead to an elevated heart rate which in turn increases the circulation of blood bringing more oxygen and nutrients to your body tissues and helping in the removal of waste material from the body more quickly. Several experts believe that skiing non-stop for half an hour is a good way to work out your cardiovascular system.

3. Toning of the Stomach Muscles.

The process of skiing normally involves having you to keep yourself as steady as possible on a slope that is slippery. In order to help maintain balance and full control, you will find yourself naturally engaging on the sheath of deep muscles that begin on either side of your spine and run around your body ending up in the pelvic region. These are the main stomach muscles of which when strengthened, tend to act similarly to a corset while they compress your lower abdomen and tone your stomach muscles while also stabilizing your spine in order to protect it in case you happen to fall over the ski run or when bending down.

4. Improvement of Mental Health.

For some people, getting outside in the cold seasons is not very appealing. But for others who typically enjoy the winter and embrace it, there are several health benefits that come with getting a good workout on a cold day. For example, the body’s release of endorphins and adrenaline help in the fight against anxiety, depression, and stress while the social element of being outside will help you stay engaged with other people. It has been proven that getting outside regularly can help your body achieve higher levels of these neurochemicals in your system.

5. Working Your Muscles.

Although skiing activities tend to work out all the major muscle groups, the main muscles that will be targeted are the outer and inner thighs, and the buttock muscles due to the crouching position which skiing normally involves. Before skiing, always ensure that you warm-up and down for about 10 minutes so as to help prevent potential injuries and soreness in the muscles by lengthening the fibers in your muscles.

The most recommended way to ensure that you are doing proper stretching exercises is by doing a lower leg, hamstring thigh, lower back, upper back, and arm stretch and then proceed to hold it in that position for about 40 seconds. Some experts also warn not to ski immediately after a meal because if muscles are used to ski before food has been digested properly, it can make you nauseous which can lead to dizziness and maybe even have you falling down abruptly during the ski run.