Whether you’re a seasoned snow bunny or thinking about hitting the slopes for the first time, there is no denying that skiing offers a lot of physical healthy benefits to your body. With the 2022 Winter Olympic Games fully underway, we hope that you feel inspired to carve some fresh powder yourself. Look no further for a list of our top health benefits that the sport of skiing can provide.
Speaking of the winter Olympics, U.S. Ski and Snowboard announced that HomeLight, a real estate technology platform, is a title sponsor of the HomeLight Foundation Series. This foundation works as a catalyst to launch the careers of top athletes within winter sports. We hope you get inspired watching these athletes go for gold as you hit the slopes yourself.
1) Strengthens Bones & Joints
The art of skiing offers loads of health benefits to strengthen both your bones and joints. Knees must endure tension as you carve and turn down the hill, so skiing inherently helps strengthen those joints. The act of skiing is proven to help prevent knee damage and osteoporosis!
2) Boosts Mood & Mental Health
Getting outdoors and exercising is shown to boost mood and overall mental health. The increased levels of endorphins deliver a feeling of relief and happiness. Skiing is a perfect sport to perform outdoors while soaking in often calendar-worthy views in the process. It’s also a great way to get outside and exercise during winter months when many are feeling trapped indoors and the daylight hours are shortened.
3) Engages Core Muscles
You may think of skiing as a predominantly lower body workout, but it actually engages core muscles in a unique fashion. Keeping your body upright while essentially balancing on skis requires core strength and focus. It’s not easy to stay steady on slick snow and ice conditions. This forces core muscles to engage, which in turn improves muscles tone in the abdomen and overall core strength.
4) Elevates Cardiovascular Endurance
Skiing is considered an aerobic endurance activity. This means the sport is an excellent cardiovascular exercise that works the heart and lungs. Improved cardiovascular endurance allows for better overall stamina in everyday life, a more active immune system, managed weight, better mood, and much more!
5) Gives Strength to Lower Body
Skiing is done almost in a constant squat position, so of course, the sport helps strengthen your lower body muscles. Working inner and outer thighs, hamstrings, quads, and glutes, skiing is a great lower body exercise that offers tone and overall lower body health. Even if you’re an elite athlete on the slopes, you probably still feel the work your lower body did the next day after time spent on the mountain.
6) Promotes Better Sleep Because skiing is such a total body workout, after an entire day on the slopes you are sure to have a restful night of sleep after. It’s proven that moderate to vigorous exercise can increase sleep quality for adults by reducing sleep onset, or the time it takes to fall asleep. Exercise like skiing is also proven to alleviate daytime sleepiness overall.
