Looking for an intense workout? Try cross country skiing

  • Published
  • By 75th Medical Group
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Most fitness and medical professionals agree that cross country skiing is one of the best cardiovascular fitness activities. "In terms of all-around aerobic benefits, it's the front runner and because no single muscle group is overstressed, the activity can be sustained for hours on end," said Jessica Rees, exercise physiologist with the Health and Wellness Center. "Using muscles in the shoulders, back, chest, abdomen, buttocks and legs, cross country skiers can burn as many as six hundred to nine hundred calories per hour. This activity can provide a more complete workout than running or cycling, both of which emphasize lower body muscles."

Col. Don Hickman, commander of the 75th Medical Group, has personal experience with the sport. In fact, on Presidents Day this year he raced the 10 kilometer freestyle event at the North Fork cross country park in Eden, placing second in his age group. "For truth in advertising, I placed second out of three in my year group," said Hickman. "I'm moving up in the standings, because last year I was third out of three. This is one heck of a work out and there is nothing quite like going 20 to 30 miles an hour downhill on skis that are about 2 inches wide."

While many "northern folks" hibernate during the winter months, good health and well-being require year-round attention. Physical activity stimulates the heart, increases the oxygen supply, improves circulation to cold feet and fingertips and helps improve mood and mental function. Exercise is important for a strong immune system. It helps keep vital organs healthy, supports the circulatory and lymphatic systems and helps the body detoxify. It's one of the simplest and best ways for relieving stress. The combination of exercise and fresh air better ensures a good night's sleep. Cross country skiing delivers all these health benefits, and more.

In the winter, the body is under added stress because of cold weather. You may sometimes feel sluggish from inactivity, so it's doubly important to exercise during cold winter months.

"There is no better sport than cross country skiing to keep you fit and outdoors in the winter," said Hickman. "With the daylight returning, before or after work I can go up to the Snowbasin ski area's cross country tracks, ski 10 kilometers, get the heart rate way up, and enjoy a dose of the great Utah outdoors."

Like all good aerobic workouts, this sport keeps the heart pumping at an elevated rate for an extended period of time, boosts "good" HDL cholesterol and helps control blood pressure. It also builds endurance, strengthens the back and helps maintain normal weight or aids weight loss. Athletes find that it is an excellent cross-training sport for running and biking.

Best of all, cross country skiing is an ideal low-impact sport (easy on knees and joints) that exercises all major muscle groups and keeps the body in a better state of physical balance, resulting in fewer injuries. Cross country skiing is relatively gentle on your joints, according to Rees. "Unlike running sports, there is very little shock to the feet, knees and hips thanks to the gliding motion. Cross country skiers have free heels and hinge at the toe, so accidents are far less likely to cause significant injuries to the cruciate ligaments (ACL) and meniscus (cartilage) of the knees."

Cross country skis can be rented locally at Hill AFB Outdoor Recreation, the Snowbasin ski resort (see their website at: http://www.snowbasin.com/winter/nordic/), and through the Ogden Valley Nordic Center in Eden (see their website at: http://www.ogdennordic.com/home). The two closest professionally groomed cross country tracks are at Snowbasin and Ogden Valley Nordic Center. Of course, the great thing about cross country skiing is you can strap on the skis and go skiing almost anywhere there is snow, with or without "professional grooming."