A 125-pound person will burn 240 calories while doing either activity for 30 minutes, while someone who weighs 155 pounds will burn 298 calories during 30 minutes of either activity. If you weigh 185 pounds, expect to burn 355 calories during a half-hour of cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.
If you are an avid hiker, you may think that a 15-mile hike is nothing, but when it comes to snowshoeing your body is working much harder. Your pace will be roughly 1.5 to 2 times slower than hiking or running.”
Start by doing an easy shuffle. After two shuffles, shift and center your weight on the front ski, gliding for a short distance. Continue ahead, using a shuffle, shuffle, glide cadence. This is the basic kick-and-glide motion of cross-country skiing.
Generally speaking, cross-country skiing is a low-risk sport. This certainly holds true when compared to its more risky cousin, alpine skiing, where falls and severe injuries occur more frequently. Cross-country skiing is an accessible outdoor activity and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
On groomed trails, however, you'll easily beat walking speeds. You better assume walking speed or slower, especially if you are beginner.
When a skier is using the diagonal stride, the biceps and triceps provide power to the ski poles. When the double-pole technique is used, the skier's core muscles, pectoralis major, deltoids, and latissimus dorsi are put to work. Of course, the leg muscles also do their fair share.
Just take on the skies, stop thinking and enjoy being one with the skies, the snow & the silent winter woods. But the main benefit of cross-country skiing, physically, is that it exercises the entire body – arms, legs, trunk… – every single part of the body is engaged while training on the thin skies.
While good posture is beneficial for everyone, it's especially important for the athlete. Snowshoeing requires a lot of endurance in the back muscles as we maneuver across the snow in an upright position.
Many people (including me) like to wear waterproof breathable rain pants over their base layer for winter hiking and snowshoeing. They are windproof so they'll retain body heat. This means you might get overheated in them so get ones with leg vents if you run hot.
Walking LungesBy doing walking lunges, you can stimulate the increased difficulty of movement while snowshoeing. Also, by walking while performing lunges, you can actively build up your stabilizing leg muscles—like the vastus medialis obliquus—as well as your main leg muscle groups: the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
They state, “Depending on how long you walk and the terrain you choose, snowshoeing can provide a good aerobic workout, often more strenuous than walking.” The publication lists that walking in snowshoes at 3 miles (5 km) per hour can burn about 350 calories in an hour.
For this reason, in addition to winter boots, you can use light hiking boots, Canadian leather moccasins, or old running shoes for your snowshoe boots (you no longer need the thick comfortable midsole as the snow is soft). You can even use tennis shoes, as long as you cover or spray them with water-repellent fabric.
Clothing & Footwear
- Moisture-wicking long underwear (wool or synthetic)
- Insulated jacket or vest.
- Waterproof/breathable raingear (jackets and pants)
- Snow pants or bibs.
- Soft-shell jacket and pants.
- Gaiters (tall and waterproof)
Snowshoes are heavy, weighing between four and five pounds a pair, so most winter hikers are happy when they don't have to carry them on a winter hike. Hiking without them strapped to your back or feet takes less energy and is a lot more comfortable.
Waterproof boots are essential for any ski trip, keeping you comfortable, warm and dry throughout the day – no matter how hard the snow falls. My favorite shoes to wear off the slopes are my Gore-Tex North Face hiking boots ?? They're comfortable, very light and fully waterproof, highly recommended.
They are rated for the weight of the person. 20 inch youth models go up to maximum of 80 pounds, 21 inch snowshoes go up to 125 pounds, 22 inch go up to 150 pounds, 25 inch are rated up to 175 pounds, 30 inch shoes go up to 220 pounds, and 35 or 36 inch snowshoes are rated for over 220 pounds.
Often a skier will start a hike wearing ski boots with regular smooth soles. This might seem to suffice for the first few meters, but often you will have to hike on loose or exposed rocks. In those cases you will need ski boots with Vibram soles, which offer much more grip. In some cases you will even need crampons.
Climbing Skins. Skins are strips of material (once actual animal skins, but now all synthetic) that attach to the undersides of backcountry and metal-edge touring skis to provide traction for climbing. Advantages: They save energy by keeping you from backsliding on moderate terrain.
Snowshoeing can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour.Snowshoeing at a similar pace across flat, packed snow like you might find on a park trail will burn about 450 calories. For more seasoned snowshoers, these results increase dramatically as speed and difficulty of the terrain increases.
- Wawayanda State Park.
- Worthington State Forest.
- Palisades Interstate Park.
- High Point State Park.
- Hacklebarney State Park.
- Cheesequake State Park.
- Ringwood State Park.
- Rancocas State Park.
