5 Health Benefits of Skiing & Snowboarding

5 Health Benefits of Skiing & Snowboarding

For too many people winter is a lengthy period when they prefer to stay at home and to spend time watching TV. In the meanwhile, there is a great way to get rid of the winter depression and improve one’s health. It is generally recognised that winter outdoor sports are able to enhance our mood and are extremely beneficial for our health. The researchers claim that engagement in winter sports relieves stress and makes us feel happier. Besides, it is a good way to switch off from the daily routine and look at your problems from another point of view. Let’s have a look at the key benefits of skiing and snowboarding which can make our lives better.

Improve your cardiovascular health

First of all, skiing and snowboarding, like any other activity involving a great deal of physical exercise, are known to enhance cardiovascular health. Physical exercise causing elevated heart rate, combined with high altitude, speeds up the blood circulation and thus provides a great cardio workout. Like all the muscles in our body, the heart needs to be challenged in order to become stronger. The increased blood circulation also improves the condition of vessels and tissues.

Burn the excess calories

Skiing and snowboarding are intense physical activities which enhance energy expenditure. Downhill skiing is known to use up more calories per hour than any other physical activity. You can burn more than four hundred calories during one hour of skiing or snowboarding. Thus, it is one of the most efficient and the most pleasant ways to lose weight. Overweight is known to increase the risk of a number of serious diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, so it is absolutely necessary to use this chance to become a little thinner.

Make your muscles strong

Skiing engages a lot of muscles and makes them work hard. The advantage of skiing is that it involves muscles that are hard to engage with other kinds of physical activity, like core muscles of the abdomen, which provide support for the back. Skiing and snowboarding also prevent muscle loss, which is age related. In addition, both sports definitely improve overall body strength and flexibility.

Develop your muscles evenly

Downhill skiing and snowboarding improve balance and coordination. If you have tried downhill skiing at least once, you already know how much coordination it involves. While skiing you have to control your core muscles and your leg muscles at the same time, which ensures balanced muscle development.

Lift up your mood

Finally, a great benefit of skiing and snowboarding is that they are able to enhance your mood, which is particularly important during a lengthy winter. Any physical activity promotes increased production of endorphins which in turn makes us feel relieved and happy. Outdoor sports give us a chance to forget about the problems and to understand that they are not as important as they seem to be. Whether you go to a ski resort or just hit the slopes in the neighbourhood of your city, you are able to take your mind off the daily routine and feel satisfaction and pride for your sport accomplishments. If you feel stressed out and exhausted, skiing and snowboarding is the easiest way to feel better.