Hard Bodies Aren't Just for Summer
If you’re among those who view winter as a 3-month sentence to hard time at the local gym, it’s time to reconsider. Just because temperatures are low and days are short doesn’t mean wintertime exercise options are limited to trainers, treadmills, and Tae-Bo classes. Activities in oft-maligned solid-water states (also known as snow and ice) aren’t limited to shoveling your driveway and cleaning off your car. They also include a host of outdoor sports opportunities. The experts we talked to all agree that getting outside for a little exercise in the winter is great for body and mind.
Get the ultimate winter sports workout.
“In winter, you hear a lot about people getting depressed when they have to spend so much time inside,” says Scott Riewald, PhD, CSCS, the U.S. Olympic Committee’s winter sports high performance director. “Well, lots of studies have shown that regular exercise quells anxiety, lowers stress, eases tension, and reduces the tendency for depression. So getting outside in winter and being active can go a long way toward improving physical and mental health.”
Here are six exhilarating wintertime sports and the whole-body fitness benefits they provide.
Are you as fit as you think you are? Watch this video to find out.
Get the ultimate winter sports workout.
“In winter, you hear a lot about people getting depressed when they have to spend so much time inside,” says Scott Riewald, PhD, CSCS, the U.S. Olympic Committee’s winter sports high performance director. “Well, lots of studies have shown that regular exercise quells anxiety, lowers stress, eases tension, and reduces the tendency for depression. So getting outside in winter and being active can go a long way toward improving physical and mental health.”
Here are six exhilarating wintertime sports and the whole-body fitness benefits they provide.
Are you as fit as you think you are? Watch this video to find out.
Cross-Country Skiing
Perhaps no other sport—winter or summer—provides greater aerobic benefit than cross-country skiing. Unlike its close cousins, cycling and running, cross-country skiing provides a full-body workout that engages shoulders, arms, back, chest, abs, butt, and legs.
“You burn more calories cross-country skiing than in any other sport,” says Neal Henderson, sports science director at Colorado’s Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. “It has the highest aerobic demands because it literally works your entire body.”
For proof, look at the VO2 max testing done on elite athletes, says Dave Jarrett, head coach of the U.S. Nordic Combined ski team, which won four medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. “Elite cross-country skiers have consistently posted the highest VO2 max numbers,” says Jarrett of the metric that measures one’s ability to efficiently transfer oxygen to working muscles.
That may be more science than you were looking for, but the bottom line is that there are Nordic centers almost everywhere there is snow. And nearly all of those centers offer lessons and equipment rental. So get out there, burn some calories—and raise that VO2 max.
Discover dozens of simple ways to blast calories without even trying!
“You burn more calories cross-country skiing than in any other sport,” says Neal Henderson, sports science director at Colorado’s Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. “It has the highest aerobic demands because it literally works your entire body.”
For proof, look at the VO2 max testing done on elite athletes, says Dave Jarrett, head coach of the U.S. Nordic Combined ski team, which won four medals at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. “Elite cross-country skiers have consistently posted the highest VO2 max numbers,” says Jarrett of the metric that measures one’s ability to efficiently transfer oxygen to working muscles.
That may be more science than you were looking for, but the bottom line is that there are Nordic centers almost everywhere there is snow. And nearly all of those centers offer lessons and equipment rental. So get out there, burn some calories—and raise that VO2 max.
Discover dozens of simple ways to blast calories without even trying!
Ice Skating
You don’t need to twirl like Dorothy Hamill or accelerate like Apolo Ohno to have fun at the local ice rink. “Even beginners will burn calories and improve cardiovascular health,” says the USOC’s Riewald. “Plus, it’s something you can do with your whole family.”
Besides locating a place to skate, the top consideration for new skaters is finding skates with sharp edges that fit well, says Derek Parra, a two-time Olympic speed skating medalist who’s now the Utah Athletic Foundation’s outreach director for youth sports programs. “After that, make sure to stretch a little,” says Parra. “Skating is aerobic, it involves your legs and core, it improves balance and agility, and it’s a ton of fun.”
If you’re not immediately comfortable on the ice, Parra suggests walking first. Start outside the rink to figure out your center of gravity. Then move onto the ice and slowly go from walking to pushing and gliding. You’ll be contemplating a triple toe loop in no time.
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Besides locating a place to skate, the top consideration for new skaters is finding skates with sharp edges that fit well, says Derek Parra, a two-time Olympic speed skating medalist who’s now the Utah Athletic Foundation’s outreach director for youth sports programs. “After that, make sure to stretch a little,” says Parra. “Skating is aerobic, it involves your legs and core, it improves balance and agility, and it’s a ton of fun.”
If you’re not immediately comfortable on the ice, Parra suggests walking first. Start outside the rink to figure out your center of gravity. Then move onto the ice and slowly go from walking to pushing and gliding. You’ll be contemplating a triple toe loop in no time.
Lose belly fat without exercise when you try the Flat Belly Diet!
Ice Hockey
If you prefer team sports, then it may be time to channel your inner Wayne Gretzky. To get started, check out the search function on the USA Hockey website. It’ll help you find a nearby rink that hosts drop-in games and adult amateur leagues. Rinks usually rent skates and sticks for those new to the sport.
Next, get ready for a heart-pounding, anaerobic workout. “Hockey is essentially a series of high-intensity interval efforts,” says Henderson, who conducts annual preseason physiological testing on the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. “Playing a game with multiple repeat sprint efforts delivers substantial benefits. There are studies that show that even just 4 to 6 high-intensity intervals can result in improved cardiovascular fitness.”
Wannabe Gretzkys will also improve overall balance, stability, and hand-eye coordination, all while having a lot of fun.
Download the best smartphone apps for a healthier you.
Next, get ready for a heart-pounding, anaerobic workout. “Hockey is essentially a series of high-intensity interval efforts,” says Henderson, who conducts annual preseason physiological testing on the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. “Playing a game with multiple repeat sprint efforts delivers substantial benefits. There are studies that show that even just 4 to 6 high-intensity intervals can result in improved cardiovascular fitness.”
Wannabe Gretzkys will also improve overall balance, stability, and hand-eye coordination, all while having a lot of fun.
Download the best smartphone apps for a healthier you.
Snowshoeing
Of all the winter sports, snowshoeing is arguably the most accessible. The skill requirement is low, equipment is minimal, and a little snow on the ground is the only playing field you need. “It’s actually one of my favorite winter sports because it’s so easy to do,” says Riewald, who lives in Colorado Springs. “Just hop in a car, drive to a trail, and off you go.”
But don’t confuse ease of access with easy-to-do. Like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing can provide a heart-thumping cardiovascular workout. “Whether you’re going full race pace, or just out there enjoying nature, you’ll benefit,” says Henderson. “There are also balance and stability requirements, and your gluteal muscles will be more involved because you tend to have a wider gait when walking in snowshoes. If the snow is deep, your hip flexors will be engaged, too.”
Great songs to fire up your workout.
But don’t confuse ease of access with easy-to-do. Like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing can provide a heart-thumping cardiovascular workout. “Whether you’re going full race pace, or just out there enjoying nature, you’ll benefit,” says Henderson. “There are also balance and stability requirements, and your gluteal muscles will be more involved because you tend to have a wider gait when walking in snowshoes. If the snow is deep, your hip flexors will be engaged, too.”
Great songs to fire up your workout.
Alpine Skiing or Snowboarding
If you’ve ever cut fresh tracks through knee-deep powder in the Back Bowls of Vail, then you already know the beauty of alpine skiing. Technically it may qualify as exercise, but it feels like pure bliss. “If you’re having a great day on the slopes, your legs may be screaming, but you just keep going,” says Henderson. “That’s probably not going to happen if you’re doing a quadriceps exercise on the leg-press machine at your gym.”
Initiating a ski turn is a muscle-lengthening or eccentric motion, similar to lowering a weight. “There are also a lot of balance and core stability requirements,” says Henderson. “Snowboarding and telemark skiing offer similar benefits.”
These demands on your legs mean a little “pre-hab” is a good idea, says Riewald. “To reduce the risk of injury, do some basic leg-strengthening exercises that hit your quads, calves, and hamstrings. You should also focus time on your abdominals and lower back. That way when you hit the slopes you can stay there for a while and not get sore right away.”
Is your run ready for winter?
Initiating a ski turn is a muscle-lengthening or eccentric motion, similar to lowering a weight. “There are also a lot of balance and core stability requirements,” says Henderson. “Snowboarding and telemark skiing offer similar benefits.”
These demands on your legs mean a little “pre-hab” is a good idea, says Riewald. “To reduce the risk of injury, do some basic leg-strengthening exercises that hit your quads, calves, and hamstrings. You should also focus time on your abdominals and lower back. That way when you hit the slopes you can stay there for a while and not get sore right away.”
Is your run ready for winter?
Curling
Okay, so curling won't raise your VO2 max or give you six-pack abs, but according to Riewald, he’s never met a first-time curler who didn’t have a blast. “There are not huge physical demands, but there’s a large mental component—and it’s very social,” he says. “It’s another way to have fun in the winter, instead of just sitting on your couch waiting for spring to come.”
It doesn’t take any special talent or world-class genes to maintain fitness—even during winter. Just find something you like and do it. Your body and mind will thank you.
Blast calories all day long.
It doesn’t take any special talent or world-class genes to maintain fitness—even during winter. Just find something you like and do it. Your body and mind will thank you.
Blast calories all day long.
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