How many calories do you burn skiing?
As enjoyable, exhilarating, and challenging as skiing can be, one thing we can all agree on is that it can be quite tiring. It’s definitely not an easy sport to master and it takes a lot of physical effort to ski but it is incredibly good exercise. One thing we’re always asked here at Chill Factore is how many calories does skiing burn? Well, we looked at the numbers and wanted to share them with you. If you’d like to find out how many calories you burn skiing, continue reading below.
Calorie burning workouts: how does skiing compare?
The best way of determining whether an activity is worthwhile for exercise or calorie control is to compare it to your energy usage at a state of rest. You can do this by measuring the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET). One MET is defined as one kcal per hour and is roughly equivalent to the energy cost of sitting quietly. So, a MET two activity expends twice the energy used by the body at rest.
Depending on the intensity of the run, downhill skiing has a MET of between four, for light exertion, or up to eight for a full-effort downhill race. For comparison, running a 12-minute mile has a rating of eight. With this in mind, does skiing burn more calories? Well, in terms of calorie-burning workouts, skiing is alongside long-distance running but is arguably much more fun!
If you’re looking for a challenge to set yourself, cross-country skiing has a MET of between seven for light effort and 16 for uphill ski walking. That sounds like a challenge to us!
How many calories does skiing burn?
As we’ve determined that skiing is comparable to long-distance running in terms of exercise intensity, it would make sense that it would burn just as many calories. Long-distance running accounts for around 100 calories burnt per mile covered.
If we were to take a 75kg (11 stone) adult, you would expect them to burn around 350 calories per hour on a light downhill run. Of course, the number of calories burned during an hour session depends on the level of exertion put in by the person, and the type of skiing they’re taking part in. For example, during an intense cross-country skiing session, the number of calories burned per hour would actually climb to around 1300. Not bad for an hour’s work!
Is skiing good exercise?
Skiing is an aerobic activity which is a cardiovascular workout that requires the pumping of oxygenated blood to the body’s muscles.
It’s well-known in the sporting world that interval training is one of the most effective types of exercise. This type of training involves alternating cycles of high-intensity effort and low-intensity aerobic activity. During a recovery phase, the body burns fat to produce the energy that’s needed for recovery. However, during the high-intensity phase of activity, your body burns carbohydrates. Studies have shown that skiing may well be among the best interval training workouts you can take part in.
Interval training is excellent for weight loss and the improvement of overall health. So, if you’re planning to kick-start a new health regime, you should most definitely consider taking up skiing as a hobby.
Burn calories on the Chill Factore slope
If you’re looking for calorie-burning workouts, you should look no further than the slope at Chill Factore. Our real indoor slope - the longest in the UK - is the perfect place to combine fun with exercise and skill-based learning so pick up a lift pass today.
Learn more about insider ski fitness tips and get inspiration on your snow workout with the latest blogs at Chill Factore.
If there is anything else you’d like to know about Chill Factore, including snowboarding lessons, don’t hesitate to contact us.
