Skiing Health Benefits
If you’re looking for a vacation activity that will provide excellent health benefits alongside good fun for a couple, a family, or a larger group no matter what the time of year, then skiing may be the answer. Or if you live near some snowy hills/mountains or an artificial slope and want a more entertaining way to keep fit and lose weight during the cold months, the answer is the same. Skiing is more than just sliding down a mountainside then enjoying the Après-ski.
Skiing Tones Muscles
The crouching position involved when skiing is an unusual stance for most people, and for that reason it uses muscles worked less in other activities. Thigh muscles like quadriceps and hamstrings are key, while shoulder and arm muscles — biceps, triceps, and forearms — are important when gripping the poles to control speed and direction. Balancing keeps your stomach muscles engaged.
Of course, skiing does come with plenty of risks, and you don’t want to undo all that fantastic muscular work by being bedridden for weeks after a nasty crash! High Octane Sports has some colorfully-designed ski masks and goggles perfect for the occasion.
Skiing Improves Cardio
The better your cardio fitness, the easier it is to lose weight, and skiing is a highly cardiovascular activity. As skiing is often a full day’s activity it’s no surprise that fitness experts have found during one session you can burn up to 3,000 calories! Combine that workout with good nutrition before and after skiing, and this can lead to serious weight loss.
Skiing Increases Flexibility
Skiing is a sport that leaves hardly any muscle unused. The combination of balancing and steering also improves flexibility. It’s important to stretch before and after hitting the slopes in order to maximize the flexibility benefits skiing supplies. Your improved flexibility will help in everything from daily tasks to participating in other sports.
Skiing Strengthens Bones
The action of skiing involves carrying your entire body weight on your feet, with your leg muscles supporting the majority of it. Adjusting your body while riding down a slope also strengthens joints, and the steeper the incline, the more they have to work to keep your balance. High-intensity exercise like skiing can prevent aging and weakening of your joints. This in turn means other activities should become easier on your body when ski season is over.