Fun Winter Activities Which Helps You Stay Fit

Don't escape winter—embrace it! This season, hit the trails, rinks or hills with these heart-pumping, calorie-burning, fat-melting sports.

ICE-SKATING - Skating is great for the heart and the lungs. If the wind-chill factor is below -15°C and you have heart or respiratory problems, stick to an indoor rink. It helps burn around 500 calories per hour. It is a low to medium intensity workout.

Before you start - Make sure your skates fit properly, and if lacing up new ones, prepare to break them in for a few minutes over the first couple of skating sessions. Sharpen blades at least twice each year: at the beginning of winter and halfway through the season. If skating on outdoor ice that's cleaned less thoroughly or frequently than indoor arenas, your blades will need more regular upkeep. When it comes to clothing, remember your ABCs: anything but cotton, which absorbs moisture, making you colder faster as you sweat. Wear warm, loose-fitting clothes so you can easily move around, and invest in a pair of high-quality socks with merino wool to keep toes toasty.

Good for - Skating forward conditions your glutes, while backward movements engage your quads. And it's not all about the legs; your core will also get a workout, as those muscles are helping keep you balanced.


SNOWSHOEING - If you can walk, you can snowshoe. Think of snowshoeing as winter's version of hiking—an endurance-boosting, lower-body- conditioning workout that sculpts legs and glutes thanks to the elevated knee action when treading through snow. To prevent the snowshoes' frames from colliding, keep feet hip-width apart. To maintain balance, use poles and lean hands forward and hinge at the waist. It helps burn 700 calories per hour. It is a medium to high intensity workout.

Before you start- Cold weather coupled with an outdoor activity can be taxing, so don't go straight from sitting to working out. Warm up indoors by marching on the spot and circling arms. Before heading out, layer clothing per climate and your preference. Wear waterproof boots, and strap on snowshoes last.

Good for - Snowshoeing allows you to choose your own intensity based on speed and terrain. Punch up the intensity by seeking out hills, even small ones. Lean into the incline when climbing and lean back slightly when descending. The sharper the slope and the faster you ascend, the more you'll achieve a cardio-boosting, muscle-sculpting workout. To double the calorie count, pick up the pace. Expect to be physically challenged, so monitor your level of exertion—you should be able to talk.



SKIING - skiing not only boosts overall happiness and well-being, but it is beneficial to an individual’s physical and mental health, despite the frequency or duration of the activity. All ages and skill levels can benefit from a day out on the snow, as skiing can be considered both good for the body and good for the mind.

Before you start- Doing some basic low – impact aerobics can help build endurance and prevent common ski injuries when it comes time to hit the slopes. But while the traditional approach to ski training is: training harder = training better.

Good for - skiing can help an individual shed up to 5 lbs. in a span of seven if they spend six hours every day going up and down the slope burning 3,000 calories. If the slope is steeper, the skier is more likely to burn a greater number of calories. Beginners also can get a good cardiovascular exercise by working the heart and lungs from walking up the slope rather than using the ski lift.