Running on ice or taking a dip in frigid waters with the Polar Bear Club, are well, not for everyone. Wintertime means favorite outdoor activities like running and swimming are no longer possible, if you’re sane that is. Here is a list of the top 5 calorie burning and cardiovascular workouts, not including snow shoveling.
1. Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding
According to Statistics Canada thousands of people, including those from overseas, flock to Canada’s 250 ski areas. It is a sport that offers beautiful winter views and excitement. It is not the most rewarding sport when it comes to calorie burning, unless you are racing. On the upside if you are not the best skier getting to the ski lift and lugging the equipment around has got to count for something.
2. Leisure Skating
Both skating and skiing burn about 500 calories an hour for a 155 lb. person in general according to NutriStrategy. However, the prospect for burning more calories and increasing heart rate are greater with skating than with skiing. There are many free outdoor skating rinks in most cities and skates can be bought for under $100, making leisure skating a great and affordable way to stay fit during the winter months.
3. Ice Hockey
Affectionately called shinny, an impromptu informal game of hockey, this sport is very Canadian and very great for the heart. Getting together with friends to play a game of hockey will not only get you outside but, will help battle the winter blues with some much needed social interaction. However, the beers after the game will definitely offset that calorie burning you did on the ice.
4. Snowshoeing
When conjuring up images of snowshoeing images of early fur-trading expeditions come to mind. Snowshoeing has come a long way from the Canadian novelty of rawhide and wooden snowshoes. Many Canadian resorts offer snowshoeing, along with the more popular cross-country and downhill skiing to its patrons. Snowshoes are now made of synthetic materials and come in various sizes for different uses ranging from running to mountaineering. A modern twist on a classic mode of transportation makes snowshoeing an interesting and fun winter activity.
5. Cross-Country Skiing
The perfect mix of maximum cardiovascular exercise and great views of the winter wonderland outside can only be found in one winter activity: cross-country skiing. For all those hard-core runners, cross-country is the perfect winter alternative, and just like running, speed and incline determines how many calories you will burn. It’s not as exhilarating as down hill skiing, but the opportunity to see some winter wildlife and cross-country’s peaceful manner makes it a very different and rewarding experience.
