Skiing Health Benefits

Skiing is a very popular sport in countries that have a cold climate. Often compared to running and swimming as a cardio vascular workout, it is no wonder that many prefer to engage in this activity to stay fit and warm.

The reason why these three are similar is because health professionals consider this to be different forms of aerobic exercise. People will have to exert a lot of physical effort and use up a lot of oxygen to keep moving.

The health benefits of skiing isn't that different from any other physical exercise that you can engage in. The trick is to do it for at least 20 minutes a day or longer and three times a week or more to stay in good shape.

One benefit then of skiing is that it improves the individual’s circulatory system. This increases alertness making it easy for the person to respond to anything or perform normal duties with minimal effort.

Aerobic activities such as skiing helps keeps the tissues functioning properly as well as flow of blood in the body. This prevents the individual from succumbing to certain heart diseases such as a stroke or high blood pressure.

Another benefit of skiing is that it helps regulate the HDL or good cholesterol in the body. This allows the body to get rid of LDL or bad cholesterol since it helps the skier burn fat and control one’s weight.

This may be sound impossible since it is hard to sweat in cold weather but this has proven to be true especially when seeing some of the best skiers in the world.

People who are in good shape are also able to delay the signs of natural aging such as the decrease in physical resistance and muscular mass, flexibility and slower metabolism.

Lastly, the health benefits of skiing bring out self-esteem and confidence, which makes it easy to meet with other people and take on the challenges that life has to offer.

Skiing may not be for everybody. Studies show that one in four Americans is overweight so it will be a good idea to check first with the physician to make sure it is safe. Those who are able to can sign up for a lesson at a ski resort and learn the basics from an instructor.

Some people think that the only thing skiers do is go downhill but there are also some uphill climbs that will surely increase the heart rate and make you healthy.