Lack of sunshine in the winter months make it much more important to get outside. Sledding, ice skating, walking or skiing all make for a great winter workout and an excuse to go outdoors for some fun in the fresh air. Here are 8 winter activities to have fun and lose weight.
Sledding
Sledding may not seem like much of a workout on the way down. However, in order to slide down you need to go up. Walking up a hill is a great leg workout. Add the sled you will be carrying up and you have included your upper body workout. Give a small child a ride up the hill on your sled and you have created a cardio challenge. Who needs the gym? And the calorie burn? Approximately 480 calories an hour.
Skating
Doesn’t watching the Winter Olympics make everyone want to glide across the ice? Find a local rink, lace up your skates and have some fun.Think you might be a little unsteady on your feet? Some rinks provide large buckets for the little ones to hold onto and skate behind. Why not something slightly larger, like a clean plastic garbage can, for those of us who are a “kid at heart”? I will certainly be asking my local rink if I can use an adult size bucket. I may not burn the 500 calories in an hour that good skaters will, but I don’t want to miss out on the fun!
Skiing – Cross Country and Downhill
Local parks provide a beautiful, natural setting for a leisurely walk or cross country skiing. Pine tree boughs laden with snow or maple tree branches so lightly trimmed it looks like Jack Frost painted them himself. I love swishing softly through the snow on a quiet afternoon. An hour of snow swishing and nature gazing burns approximately 400-476 calories an hour, depending on how fast you’re moving.
If racing down the side of a mountain is your idea of winter adventure then you’ll be happy to learn you burn about 446 calories an hour slaloming down the slopes.
Snowboarding
Modern snowboarding began in 1965 when Sherman Poppen made the first one for his children in Muskegon, Michigan. Snowboarding officially became a Winter Olympic sport in 1998. You don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to love this sport, and burn 440 calories in an hour.
3 for the Kid-At-Heart
Activities such as building a snowman, making snow angels and having snowball fights aren’t just for kids. They can burn up to 300 calories per hour (based on a 150-pound person) while also providing a great outlet for stress!
It doesn’t matter what winter workout you choose - just bundle up and get out there!
