The Benefits of Cross-Country Skiing
Lindsay Knake
| 3 min read
Heading outside for exercise is a great way to improve your mental and physical health during the winter. One fun and healthy way the whole family can get winter exercise is cross-country skiing.
There are two types of cross-country skiing, traditional and skate. Traditional cross-country skiing involves gliding along a two-track trail, whereas skate skiing requires a wider groomed trail, and the athletes push off like in ice skating. Both provide a full-body workout.
The health benefits of cross-country skiing
While skate skiing may be a greater workout than traditional, both offer a low-impact cardiovascular workout. Here are different benefits of cross-country skiing:
- Low impact workout: Compared to running, cross-country is a low-impact workout and can reduce load on joints, which can help people with arthritis or joint pain.
- Works major muscle groups: Cross-country skiing exercises major muscle groups including your core, legs and upper arms as you plant the poles and push off.
- Cardiovascular benefits: It’s also a good workout for your heart. In time, cross-country skiing can increase your body’s oxygen carrying capacity, make your heart pump more efficiently and lower your heart rate, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- Burns calories: Cross-country skiing can burn 700 calories an hour for a 190-pound person, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- Balance: The gliding or skating in cross-country skiing also helps you work on balance and coordination as you shift from leg to leg. Improving your balance can keep you strong and reduce fall risk as you age.
- Proprioception: Moving over uneven trails improves proprioception, or your body’s ability to sense movement and location, according to the University of Wisconsin Health.
- Protects against Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): As many as one in 20 people experience SAD, and lack of sunlight may be a major contributor. Exercise, especially outside, can provide feel-good chemicals like serotonin and protect against seasonal depression.
- Stress relief: Getting outside and exercising in the winter is a helpful way to relieve stress. Cross-country skiing is a meditative form of exercise, and nature is a powerful stress reliever.
- Flexibility: The intensity of cross-country skiing is up to you. Traditional skiing can be an easy, fun tour through the forest with family or friends of all ages, while fast skate skiing is one of the best-known cardiovascular exercises. You can make the sport what you need it to be.
What you need to cross-country ski
In order to go cross-country skiing, you’ll need cross-country skis, poles, cross-country ski boots and comfortable, warm athletic clothing that allows you to move freely. Layer your clothing with an inner, sweat-wicking shirt and an outer shell that blocks wind and water. Mittens rather than gloves will keep your hands warmer.
You can rent gear at many parks or ski resorts or buy it either new or second-hand.
Cross-country ski trails in Michigan
There are more than 3,000 miles of groomed trails across Michigan. Here are a few trails around the state to get started:
- Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville has more than 18 miles of trails.
- Kensington Metropark in Milford has 12 miles of groomed trails through the forest and open fields, and the park offers $15 ski rentals.
- Stony Creek Metropark in Shelby Township has 13 miles of flat and hilly groomed trails, and the park offers $15 ski rentals.
- Port Crescent State Park in Port Austin has trails on the beach and dunes of Lake Huron.
- Pigeon Creek Park Trails in Grand Haven has groomed trails that are lit at night.
- Noquemanon Trail Network in the Upper Peninsula is a network of 77 miles of groomed ski trails.
Find more cross-country ski trails and places to rent equipment across Michigan.
Image: Getty Images
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