Health Benefits of Cross-Country Skiing

Maintaining an active lifestyle throughout the winter is not always easy. For some, the long winter months are an invitation to stay home, watch sports or Netflix, and avoid the exercise they engage in during the spring, summer, and fall. Cross-country skiing is one enjoyable option that can get a person outside after the snow falls.

Cross-country skiing is a winter sport where athletes use skis and poles to navigate snow-covered areas that may be either flat or hilly. Cross-country skiing originated in Scandinavia and is a very efficient method of moving across snow. While cross-country skiing was first used for hunting and exploration, it was not until the late 1900s that it became a sport. Today, competitors compete in various cross-country skiing events in the Winter Olympics, and the activity is gaining popularity among winter sports aficionados.

Cross-country skiing has a plethora of physical health benefits. Here are five reasons you should consider taking up cross-country skiing.

Cross-country skiing is a great cardio workout. Maintaining a high heart rate during exercise strengthens and improves your heart's ability to efficiently pump blood. A strong heart pumps more efficiently with each contraction, giving more blood to the muscles. After weeks of skiing, you will likely notice a drop in your resting heart rate. Olympic cross-country skiers have resting heart rates from 28 to 40 beats per minute. Compare that to the average person's resting heart rate, which ranges from 60 to 80 beats per minute.

Additionally, it is an efficient method of exercising many muscle groups simultaneously. Because you propel yourself in part with ski poles, cross-country skiing works your upper body much more than running or cycling.

The biceps and triceps contribute power to the ski poles when using the diagonal stride (when you plant the pole opposite the forward-moving ski). This means if you are sliding your right ski ahead, you are also pushing off with your left pole). When you employ the double-pole technique (planting and pushing off with both poles simultaneously with every stride), your core muscles, pectoralis major, deltoids, and latissimus dorsi are worked. Naturally, your leg muscles contribute as well. The quadriceps and gastrocnemius (the powerful muscles of the back of the lower leg) generate force and move you ahead.

As a demanding cardio activity, cross-country skiing will have you burning many calories, which can aid in weight loss. For a 130-pound individual, an hour of moderate cross-country skiing burns roughly 470 calories - for a 190-pound person, it burns nearly 700 calories.

Like running, dancing, and stair climbing, cross-country skiing is a weight-bearing cardio workout. According to the Mayo Clinic, this type of movement helps build muscle and slows mineral loss, which weakens bones and increases their risk of breakage.

Additionally, to push yourself along a cross-country ski trail, you must keep each pole in sync with the opposite ski while shifting your weight entirely from one ski to the other with each stride before pushing off. For example, when you move your right foot forward, you press the ground with your left pole and simultaneously shift your entire weight to your right foot. Both of these moves enhance agility and coordination.

Another advantage of cross country skiing is that the relatively slow pace allows you to enjoy your surroundings and truly connect with nature. The fresh air and open spaces of cross country skiing make it a wholesome activity, and data seem to back this up. Exercising and being in nature have been shown to improve mental health, including reducing stress and symptoms of depression.