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5 Best Alternative Winter Sports to Skiing
5 Best Alternative Winter Sports to Skiing
gearweare.net
Sometimes, during the winter, it can be quite hard and frustrating to stay in good shape and keep your level of fitness, especially when the weather is so bad that you are unable to even go outside. Not everyone is a big fan of gyms, and some of us prefer to work out and run outside. If you are not an expert skier or snowboarder you can enjoy some of the alternative winter sports.
Well, luckily for us, there are plenty of winter sports and activities that can help us to stay in shape.
When we talk about winter sports, the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind is skiing. But some of us are not that good at skiing, and trying to ski can be so frustrating that we would eventually give up. Well luckily, there are some alternative winter sports that can enable us to enjoy the beautiful snow and sweat it out no matter the cold weather.
Here are some of the most interesting winter sports to try this winter.
Snowshoeing
If you are a fan of hiking in the time of warm weather periods of the year, there is a big chance that you will enjoy the snowshoeing. Snowshoeing is basically the sport that consists of long walks through the deep snow. While you walk, you are wearing special footwear that allows you to walk through the snow much easier.
We all know how when you are walking through the snow your legs can sink pretty deep into the snow and make it quite difficult to make a progress. This is the reason to wear these snowshoes. The snowshoes will prevent you from sinking too deep and enable you to walk normally.
Some of the athletes even like to run while wearing these snowshoes. Snowshoeing is not that easy as it sounds. Walking through the snow makes a much better workout than the summer hiking at the same distance.
When snowshoeing, if you are moving at a brisk pace, you can burn up to 600 calories per hour, which is pretty good for something that resembles the simple walking.
Fat Tire Biking
One of the most popular winter sports during the past few years, and certainly most popular amongst the fans of extreme biking and mountain biking is the fat tire biking. The bikes required for this sport are very similar to the regular mountain bikes, only these have really big, oversized tires.
The fat tires enable you to ride these bikes over the ice and snow. Because the wheels are so big it takes a lot of strength and effort to turn them and you can burn up to more than 1000 calories per hour.
Although it’s a bit harder to get the tires rolling, once they start spinning you will be able to ride over any frozen terrain on your path. Regular bikes can’t handle these harsh conditions, but with this type of bike, you can only have tons of fun during the winter.
Of course, you can’t expect extreme speeds, because tires this wide are most definitely not designed for speed.
Cross-Country Skiing
One of the winter sports that can be compared to running when it comes to the amount of burned calories, the sport that will provide you a full-body workout during the winter, is a cross-country skiing.
While you glide over the snow you don’t work just your arms and legs muscles but also your core. Other than that, this is also a fantastic workout for the lungs and heart. Cross-country skiing provides an excellent boost for your cardiovascular system and it doesn’t have so much of an impact on the ligaments and joints.
Cross-country skiing is an excellent workout for those who wish to maintain their summer body and level of fitness during the entire year. It does require some skill you’ll need to master, but it is not even nearly as difficult as the downhill skiing is.
Ice Climbing
The ice climbing is yet another port that can provide you with a full-body workout during the winter. This sport is a bit dangerous and it is very popular amongst the adrenaline junkies. Ice climbers usually ascend ice-covered mountain faces and frozen waterfalls.
If you want to do this, you’ll need a bit more equipment than just ropes. You’ll need crampons and mountaineering axes in order to climb the ice. This sport will make you use every single muscle in your body and it will really put your strength to the test. It is also a very good sport for your lungs and heart.
Be warned that this sport is not for everyone and you must be completely sure that you are up to the challenge. Make sure that in the beginning, while you are still perfecting your skill in climbing, there is always someone with more experience there to help you out and keep an eye on you.
Snowkiting
Snowkiting, also known as Kite Skiing is probably not the safest winter sport, but it’s tons of fun. In this sport, you use the kite power for gliding over the ice and snow. It is recommendable that you do this on some wide and open field, away from the cables and wires.
The principles of kite using are the same as in water-based kiteboarding. The difference is the footwear. Here you will use the snowboards or skis. The kite helps you harness the power of the wind to travel faster, and when you get some skill you can even use it to pull you up in the air.
Conclusion
As you can see, skiing is not the only winter sport out there. These are just some of the alternatives, but there are lots of different winter sports you can try.
Of course, don’t forget about the snowball fight. It’s not really something most people would consider a sport, but if you are not all sweaty after 10 minutes of a snowball fight, you are not doing it right. It’s a fun thing to do, it’s safe, and you can burn some calories while doing it.
