Fitness & Exercise

Tools & Resources

This article is from the WebMD Feature Archive

Font Size

5 Best Winter Sports to Try

Forget hibernating. These sports are worth braving the cold.

By Tammy Worth
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

As the cold weather sets in each year, hibernation is not instinctual for bears alone. We humans tend to hunker down, turn on the TV and tuck in for the long winter. But this year, maybe it’s time to get outside and take part in some wintry fun.

There are many cold-weather sports that provide great exercise. Along with getting some much-needed fresh air during the winter, they can help build muscle mass, endurance and balance.

"The beauty of winter sports is you can do it from childhood to older age," says Stephen Olvey, MD, an associate professor of clinical neurological surgery at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. "It also lends itself to family involvement so you can have kids, grandkids, and grandparents all involved."

Here are five popular winter sports and the health benefits they provide.

Slideshow: Natural Ways to Fuel Your Workout

Cross-Country Skiing

"For building endurance, [cross-country skiing] is one of the best sports you can do," Olvey says. It also burns more calories than almost any other activity, according to the trade group SnowSports Industries America.

Cross-country skiing is an aerobic sport, meaning you move nonstop for an extended period of time while your heart pumps oxygen via blood vessels to your muscles, providing them with energy. "It is about grinding it out over the long haul with no help from gravity," Olvey says.

The muscles strengthened while cross-country skiing vary with the skiing style but typically include the thigh muscles, gluteus maximus (bottom), gastrocnemius (calves), and biceps and triceps (front and back of the upper arm).

In terms of calories, a 150-pound person would burn about 500-640 calories per hour while cross-country skiing, depending on their effort level.

Here are Olvey's tips for getting started:

Don't overdo it. Be conservative in how long you plan to ski.
Prepare yourself ahead of time by using an elliptical trainer to avoid muscle strain.
Bring fluids and snacks, especially if you're heading to a remote area.
Wear layers of clothing that keep you warm and allow for easy movement.
Be safe. Let someone know where you will be and when you expect to return. "It wouldn’t take long to become hypothermic," Olvey cautions.

Downhill Skiing

In contrast to cross-country skiing, downhill skiing takes shorter bursts of energy; most ski runs last about two to three minutes, Olvey says.

The muscle groups used in downhill skiing are the "prime movers," including the hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, hip and feet muscles, according to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. To a lesser degree, you'll also use your abdominal muscles for control and strengthen your arms by using poles.

Downhill skiing is a power sport that improves balance, flexibility, agility, and leg and core strength, Olveys says. Snow skiing also doesn’t strain the back muscles, tendons, and joints like water skiing does.

1 | 2 | 3

Next Page >

fitness newsletter

Are you ready to get pumped? Take your fitness to the max with tips from some of the best in the business. Sign up for the WebMD Fitness newsletter and redefine what it means to be fit.