how many calories burned skiing

How Many Calories Burned Skiing

Skiing is a popular winter activity that not only provides fun and excitement, but also offers a great workout. With the winter season approaching, many people are starting to think about hitting the slopes and enjoying the fresh powder. But have you ever wondered how many calories you can burn skiing?

Factors Affecting Calories Burned Skiing

The number of calories burned while skiing varies from person to person, depending on a few factors:

• Body weight: The more you weigh, the more energy you will expend while skiing.
• Intensity: Skiing at a higher intensity, such as going down steeper slopes or skiing faster, will burn more calories than skiing at a moderate pace.
• Duration: The longer you ski, the more calories you will burn.
• Level of skill: As you become more proficient at skiing, you will use less energy and burn fewer calories.
• Terrain: Skiing on a groomed run or in powder can have a different impact on the number of calories burned.

Calories Burned Per Hour

According to a study by Harvard Medical School, a person weighing 155 pounds can burn about 223 calories in 30 minutes of skiing at a moderate intensity. This number increases to 446 calories burned in an hour of skiing. However, if you weigh more, you will burn more calories, and if you weigh less, you will burn fewer calories.

An alternative way to calculate calories burned while skiing is to use the calculation of calories per hour per pound of body weight. The average number is 7.3 calories per hour per pound of body weight. This means that a 155-pound person can burn about 1,132 calories in a full day of skiing (8 hours).

Types of Skiing and Calories Burned

The type of skiing you do can also affect the number of calories you burn. Here are a few examples:

• Downhill Skiing: This is the most popular type of skiing, and it can burn around 315 calories in 30 minutes.
• Cross-Country Skiing: This type of skiing is more physically demanding and can burn around 496 calories per hour.
• Backcountry Skiing: This involves going off-trail, and you can expect to burn around 496 calories per hour.
• Skinning: This is a type of backcountry skiing that involves climbing up the mountain with skins on the skis. It can burn around 620 calories per hour.

Maximizing Your Calorie Burn while Skiing

To increase the number of calories you burn while skiing, you can incorporate a few tactics:

• Increase your speed: Skiing at a faster pace will burn more calories than going at a slower pace.
• Tackle more challenging terrain: Going down steeper slopes or skiing in powder requires more effort and will burn more calories.
• Include some turns: Turning involves using more muscles, especially the core, and can increase the number of calories burned.
• Ski for a longer duration: The longer you ski, the more calories you will burn.
• Take shorter breaks: Instead of taking long breaks in between runs, try taking shorter breaks to keep your heart rate up and increase calorie burn.

Is Skiing a Good Workout?

Aside from burning calories, skiing is also a great overall workout. It involves using a variety of muscles, including the core, legs, and arms, to maintain balance and control while gliding down the slopes. It also improves cardiovascular health and increases flexibility and balance. Plus, spending time outdoors in the fresh air and beautiful surroundings has multiple mental health benefits as well.

However, it`s essential to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your skiing sessions. Proper warm-up and stretching before and after skiing can also help prevent injuries. It`s also recommended to take a lesson or two to learn proper techniques and minimize the risk of injuries.

The Bottom Line

Overall, the number of calories burned while skiing depends on various factors, and the exact number can vary from person to person. However, skiing is a fantastic way to have fun while getting a full-body workout. So, this winter season, grab your gear and head to the slopes for a fun and calorie-burning adventure!