IT IMPROVES CORE STRENGTH
As well as guts (in the sense of courage), skiing requires balance. Engaging the core muscles, including the back and abdominal muscles, is crucial for helping you to stay upright during a downhill session, as well as protecting the spine from injury. From navigating rapid slalom turns to skidding to a stop, skiing involves lots of different highly coordinated movements with intense bursts of tough muscle work. Top skiers have lean but muscular physiques, with incredible amounts of core strength to keep their body perfectly aligned on the snow.
IT CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT
Skiing is also an effective form of interval training, involving high-intensity effort with periods of recovery. All that stopping and starting is not only a great cardiovascular workout for your heart, it can also help to shed any unwanted winter weight. This is because, during a high-intensity phase, the body burns off carbs for an instant hit of energy. During the recovery meanwhile, the body burns fat to help replenish itself after a hard effort. Researchers have found this process can continue for hours after training.
IT BOOSTS YOUR MOOD
Breathing in lungfuls of fresh mountain air, feeling the rush of it against your cheeks and taking in the postcard panoramas -– there's a reason why so many hit the slopes, year after year. As well as being good for your waistline, skiing is a great activity for boosting your mental health. Studies have shown that being immersed in nature can lower blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which calms the body's fight-or-flight response. Getting on a sunny slope can also give you a healthy dose of mood-boosting vitamin D, which can help combat issues like seasonal affective disorder.
IT CAN IMPROVE FLEXIBILITY
If you haven't got the patience for yoga, a ski holiday is ideal for improving your flexibility. From hamstrings to hips, skiing is a total-body workout that helps loosen up any neglected muscles. As well as helping to reduce aches and pains the day after exercising, increasing your mobility in general can help reduce the chance of injury, too.
