Whenever we think of doing any type of athletic activity, we sometimes believe we can get away with eating more than usual, thanks to the number of calories we’re planning on burning.
Of course, this is understandable with sports like soccer, baseball, and the like, but does the same hold true when skiing and snowboarding.
Before you go and grab an extra-large meal and that tasty dessert, it might be worth looking at how many calories you can burn when hitting the slopes.
Below, we’ll take a look at the extreme sports of skiing and snowboarding to see exactly how many calories you’ll burn when spending your day on the hill.
Overall, when looking at the number of calories burned while skiing or snowboarding, one of the most reliable sources on the topic is Harvard Medical School.
They created a table examining the number of calories burned during a range of different physical activities, based on a person’s actual body weight and the amount of exertion required.
Snowboarding and skiing make that list, amongst many others.
Broadly speaking, the amount of calories you burn depends on multiple factors.
The first is what sort of exercise or activity you’re doing.
So, for instance, if you’re doing cross-country skiing rather than downhill skiing, you may be burning more calories.
Generally speaking, the higher your heart rate is, the more calories your body will burn.
But let’s look at some general numbers from these studies and other research.
Based on Harvard Medical School’s chart, downhill skiing will burn between 360 to 532 calories per hour.
These numbers are based, of course, on body weight, which means that they might vary considerably depending on your actual physiology.
For example, according to Snowsports Industries America, a major player in the skiing industry, a downhill skier burns about 500 calories for every one hour of skiing.
Beyond that, the chart from Harvard is making some assumptions.
The amount that’s given assumes that you’re putting in a moderate amount of physical effort into skiing. In contrast, putting in less effort will cause you to burn fewer calories, and an increased effort will cause you to burn more per hour.
Therefore, it’s safe to say that you’ll burn more calories going down a black diamond hill rather than the bunny hill.
When looking at cross country skiing, though, you’ll find a big difference in calories burned.
You can tell already based on the Harvard chart suggesting you burn 480 to 710 per hour. Again, those numbers are only somewhat accurate since it’s virtually impossible to give an exact answer.
The reason cross country skiing can burn so much depends on four factors:
But with that said, it’s generally assumed you’ll burn roughly:
Those numbers are assuming you weigh about 150 pounds. Therefore, if you weigh either more or less than that, you might either burn more or fewer calories depending on your own personal metabolism.
If you’re new to the sport and are just thinking about getting into skiing, here are a few good all-mountain skis that are ideal for any skill level.
The Harvard chart doesn’t mention snowboarding, but research shows someone can burn between 290 and 806 calories every hour.
This is once again making some broad assumptions, such as moderate effort, effort, and the fact this research is based on body weight alone.
This also doesn’t account for all the walking you’ll be doing, either, which will also cause you to burn more calories over the course of a day at your favorite ski resort.
But aside from that, when snowboarding, don’t forget to bring snow goggles and any other equipment you’ll need.
While skiing and snowboarding aren’t necessarily the most intense sports, there’s no doubting the fact that you can still burn a good amount of calories while doing them.
Beyond that, these activities work several lower body muscles.
In fact, you’ll pretty much get a full-body workout from either sport, whether you’re a beginner or pro.
It might not seem like it, but your arms, chest, and upper body muscles will even get a workout while shredding down the slopes.
Aside from that, you’ll also work four main areas:
It’s good to note that you’ll still be working those same muscle groups while snowboarding or cross-country skiing.
Here is a table that'll give you a general overview of how much you can expect to burn per hour in the various disciplines.
| Exercise Type | Low intensity | Moderate intensity | High intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downhill skiing | 360 calories | 460 calories | 600 calories |
| Cross-country skiing | 450 calories | 550 calories | 700 calories |
| Snowboarding | 290 calories | 430 calories | 550 calories |
| Snowshoeing | 380 calories | 480 calories | 630 calories |
This table shows how various snow sport disciplines burn calories at various intensities
Overall, a day skiing or snowboarding will probably beat an hour or two at the gym in calories burned.
But with that said, you should maintain more interest in these sports than simply burning calories.
Skiing, snowboarding, and any other type of winter sports are great ways to get outside, get some fresh air, and make the most of the winter months.
We wrap this up with a fun little graphic that shows how many calories all the riders on the slopes burned together in 2011-2012.
Getting exercise on the slope is one thing, but getting in shape before the skiing season is paramount for both performance and decreasing risk of injuries. Here are 9 easy and effective exercises to prepare for the ski season.
