Skiing isn’t just about going downhill on your skis. There’s also such a thing as cross-country skiing.
Some people (especially those who come from countries that never see any snow) might hear about “cross-country skiing” and think that it’s about actually going for very long distances while skiing. But that’s not entirely accurate.
Instead, it’s a type of skiing that eschews the use of ski lifts and other similar types of travel, to get over an area, such as mountainous terrain. Instead, you get to where you want to go by just skiing there yourself.
This is a type of activity that you might want to consider, if you’re a fan of outdoor exercise. Sure, when it gets too cold you can just zip into your local Max Fitness gym for your workout.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t go outdoors, either. While running and biking might be more challenging during the coming winter season, you can do cross-country skiing as well. It’s not all that difficult, even for newbies.
In fact, it’s a well-known fact that many experts consider cross-country skiing as the best cardiovascular exercise of them all. Here are some reasons why:
It Boosts Your Cardiovascular Fitness
It is extremely effective in improving your cardiovascular health. First, it does this by boosting your cardia output, which is the ability of your heart to pump blood.
And it also boosts your body’s ability to oxygenate, transport oxygen via your blood, and then extract the oxygen from the blood to your muscles.
It Uses a Lot of Your Muscles
You’re exercising many of your muscles when you go with cross-country skiing, instead of just focusing on just one or a few muscles. What that means is that you’re going at your workouts much more efficiently, maximizing your time and efforts to working on more muscles. You’re not just focusing on your arms or legs alone.
It’s Great for Your Knees and Other Joints
One of the main drawbacks to running is that eventually, it’s hell on your knees. The constant impacts on your joints take their toll, and over time you might develop joint injuries and pains.
But cross-country skiing involves a very low impact on your joints. This is great if you already have joint issues, as cross-country skiing won’t exacerbate your condition. You might even try out cross-country skiing even when you already have arthritis or some similar condition.
It Boosts Your Balance
Your balance is crucial for sports, and for everyday living. It’s even more important as you get older, as you’re more likely to reduce your sense of balance and fall more often, leading to injuries.
But cross-country skiing helps to improve your balance, due to the constant weight shifts as you’re ski-skating. The diagonal stride techniques while you glide on the snow also help with your balance.
It Improves Your Kinesthetic Sense
This kinesthetic sense is basically the ability of your body to realize its location in space. It involves recognizing the body movements and changes in body position. You might not know this, but you’re using this sense in any activity that involves movement of the body.
Cross-country skiing helps to develop your kinesthetic sense because this involves a lot of gliding over uneven surfaces. It trains your body to get a better sense of its location.
It Boosts Your Visual Acuity
Your visual acuity is your ability to detect changes in the terrain. You get to practice this a lot, as your brain learns to deal with snow undulations in both low-light and bright conditions. In real life, you’ll make a lousy driver without good visual acuity.
Final Words
Cross-country skiing can be challenging, but when you’re able to do it, it boosts your self-confidence. It’s also a great way for the entire family to bond together.