Skiing and snowboarding are fantastic ways to enjoy the outdoors in winter while providing excellent opportunities for calorie burning. Understanding how many calories these activities can help you burn is essential for health-conscious individuals looking to maintain or lose weight.
The number of calories burned depends largely on the intensity of your skiing, the type of terrain you tackle, your body weight, and personal fitness levels. Generally, downhill skiing and snowboarding can lead to calorie burns ranging from 300 to 600 calories per hour. However, this estimate does not account for the time spent in lift lines or chairlifts, which can affect your overall activity level.
On the contrary, cross-country skiing tends to be more calorie-intensive, burning between 400 and 875 calories per hour, without the interruptions associated with lift rides.
Calories Burned Downhill Skiing
While downhill skiing might not rival other cardio-intensive activities like biking or running in calories burned, it still serves as a wonderful way to enjoy a day outdoors while burning calories. For instance, an average adult weighing approximately 150 pounds can expect to burn calories at the following rates during skiing:
- Light effort: 250 – 300 calories per hour
- Moderate effort: 340 – 400 calories per hour
- Vigorous effort or racing: 475 – 600 calories per hour
Individuals who weigh over 200 pounds may burn around one-third more calories per hour, yet it is crucial to remember that these figures exclude waiting times at the lift. Therefore, health-conscious skiers should focus on maintaining a balanced diet that aligns with their activity levels on the slopes. Interestingly, Nordic skiing— which involves traversing uphill— also burns a comparable amount of calories to running, presenting another engaging option for winter fitness enthusiasts.
Calories Burned Snowboarding
An adult weighing between 110 and 200 pounds can burn approximately 250 to 630 calories per hour while snowboarding. The energy expended in both skiing and snowboarding is somewhat similar. Additionally, beginners in snowboarding may experience heightened calorie burns due to the physical demands of frequently getting up after falls.
Conversely, as individuals become more adept in snowboarding, they typically exert less energy to descend slopes, leading to a decrease in calorie expenditure. In fact, experienced professional snowboarders may only burn around 350 calories per hour during leisurely descents.
For those focused on maintaining their physical fitness, it is beneficial to engage in alternative exercises such as running or swimming during off-seasons to enhance overall strength and stamina for future snowboarding sessions.
