Winter time means your favorite outdoor activities are temporarily shelved; you might even say frozen. A dash on ice or a dip in freezing waters is out of the question, if you’re sane, that is. The sharp, biting cold of winter months keep you cooped inside but you can still take advantage of and enjoy some of the numerous opportunities for calorie burning and cardiovascular workouts – with the exception of shoveling snow.
If you are looking for a way to stay fit and have fun in the winter, you may find cross-country skiing an attractive alternative. It might surprise you but cross country skiing is in fact, deemed by many exercise gurus as the best form of aerobic exercise. That’s because cross-country skiing simultaneously uses both arms and legs during the activity. You can actually burn as much as 400 to 1400 calories per hour, depending of course on your current weight, the intensity by which you ski and whether or not you choose to ski hills.
People often ask about how cross-country skiing differs from downhill skiing. There are a few differences that sets these two winter sports apart, but technically it is more the way the skis are built and how they re used that mark the difference.
Cross-country skis are lighter in made and when used, only the toe of the boot is attached to the ski to keep the heel free for the cross-country skiers to have more freedom to go up and down hills without being encumbered. Cross-country skis are built longer and narrower because they are meant for trekking deeper snow and cross-country skiers are expected to travel across snow covered fields and woodlands. Downhill skis are much wider and when worn, the entire heavy boot is strapped to the ski with a special binding.
Cross country skiing is more of a walking and hiking in snow kind of activity, propelling yourself across gently sloping terrains or traversing a relatively flat land surface. Downhill skiing as the name clearly implies involves performing on steep slope. You have to go up to the top of a big hill and slide down to the bottom at breath-taking speed, using poles and ski.
If you are one of those who fast speed and challenges, downhill skiing is one winter sport that can provide both and you will definitely want to do this. Downhill skiers claim that there is nothing more invigorating that the rush of the thrill this winter sport brings, speeding down the mountain with such amazingly high speed.
Conversely, the more sedate type yet don’t mind a more strenuous activity go for cross-country skiing. It is a perfect blend of maximum cardiovascular exercise and great views of the winter wonderland outside. In fact, for the hard-core runners who can’t give vent to their yearning to run, cross-country skiing is the perfect winter option. Just like running, the number of calories you burn is determined by speed and incline. Although not as exhilarating as downhill skiing, the prospect of seeing some winter wildlife and the cross-country’s peaceful manner make this sport a unique and rewarding experience.
Whatever your preference may be, the fact is, all skiing sports provide not just total fun but also an enjoyable way to keep yourself in top form in the winter time.
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