Are you bored of traditional fitness routines? Are you seeking excitement and adventure as you get your body back in shape? Here is a list of ways of how snowshoeing can improve your physical fitness.
What is Snowshoeing?
Snowshoeing is an outdoor activity, similar to hiking, that involves wearing specialized shoes (snowshoes) that give you extra traction and balance as you hike through frozen, snowy, and often rocky terrain. The traditional web-shaped design comes from Native Americans who used them in the northern areas of North America, and it has become an image associated with Canada. However, many people have used snowshoes worldwide to help them travel during winter.
Heart Health
Snowshoeing improves your heart health by providing a cardiovascular workout. Walking or hiking in the snow requires more effort and energy than walking on regular surfaces, so you can boost the effort and impact of every step you take. While it takes a certain level of physical fitness, snowshoeing requires very little skill. Anyone who can manage a hike in the woods should feel comfortable attempting snowshoeing.
Because it requires more work than walking on regular surfaces, snowshoeing is a high-energy activity that can help burn more calories. It combines significant muscle groups, the resistance of snow, and cold weather to increase your metabolic rate and the number of calories you burn each step. It can be an excellent workout, and snowshoeing can burn between 400 and 900 calories each hour, depending on the terrain and weather.
Strength and Agility
Snowshoeing engages significant muscle groups in the body. Some of these include the legs, glutes, core muscles, and upper body, which all work to move you forward and maintain your balance. The resistance of moving through snow and uneven terrain can help build muscle strength in these areas and also increase endurance. The full-body muscle engagement makes it an excellent exercise for anyone interested in building their core strength and stamina.
Snowshoeing can help improve your overall balance and coordination skills. The uneven terrain of many snow-covered trails engages your balance and agility. As your body works to stay level, especially when compensating for wind, it helps work your balance center and improves your overall balance. When coupled with the strength-building benefits, the improvements to your agility can help enhance your entire muscular health and mobility.
Healthy and Holistic
One of the best things about snowshoeing is that it is a low-impact exercise. Low-impact types of exercises put less stress on your joints than more intense activities like running or skiing. The reduced impact of this workout makes snowshoeing suitable for individuals suffering from joint issues or those who prefer a workout with less wear and tear on their body overall.
Snowshoeing engages multiple muscle groups, including the legs, glutes, core, arms, and shoulders. Most snowshoeing also involves poles, which can further engage the upper body muscles. This mix of upper and lower body exercise means snowshoeing provides a full-body workout. That makes it a more holistic kind of exercise than more traditional routines such as walking, hiking, or running.
Mental and Emotional Health
One of the excellent side benefits of snowshoeing is that it allows you to enjoy the fresh air. Because it requires a bit of wilderness, you can connect with nature while exercising your body. This outdoor experience can have exceptional effects on mental health and well-being. Studies have shown that spending time in nature and breathing fresh air reduces stress and increases relaxation. The benefit of relaxation means that performing these whole-body exercises outdoors can help you get a great workout and also help you rest better afterward.
Are you ready to go snowshoeing? If so, we would love to help you get set up with your next snowshoeing adventure. At Snowshoe Tahoe, we specialize in helping those who want a fun and exciting way to get physically fit fall in love with the beautiful landscape and find a path to new health. Unlike skiing or snowboarding, snowshoeing does not require extensive training, so you can jump into this experience quickly and enjoy some of the most breathtaking landscapes and gorgeous views of nature. Contact us today at Snowshoe Tahoe for an experience of staying physically fit, surrounded by our beautiful wilderness.
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