Winter is definitely upon us. It has been snowing practically all over the country this month and Mother Nature doesn’t show any signs of letting up.
Don’t let the snow get you down. With snow comes some fun ways to burn calories and get outside. Check out these winter activities from Shape.com:
Downhill Skiing
Calorie Burn*: 418 per hour
Skiing downhill is not only excellent aerobic exercise; it also builds stamina while strengthening your buttocks, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and core.
Snowboarding
Calorie Burn: 330 per hour
A terrific total-body toner, snowboarding works your core, hamstrings, quads and calves as well as the muscles in your ankles and feet as you twist to steer your board downhill.
Snowshoeing
Calorie Burn: 557 per hour
Works the buttocks, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, core and abs – offering a more intense workout and calorie burn than you’d get on most warm-weather hikes.
Cross-country skiing
Calorie Burn: 557 per hour
It tones the buttocks, quads, hamstrings, calves, chest, lats, shoulders, biceps, triceps and abs.
*Calorie burn estimates are per hour based on a 145-pound woman.
And if the only time to you manage to get outside in the snow is to shovel the driveway, never fear — that will burn almost 400 calories an hour as well.