The Health Benefits of Snowshoeing

When winter rolls around we often get into the headspace that we cannot go outside. It’s cold, it’s wet, we’ll get sick – but nothing could be further from the truth. Here at Mountain Trek we’ve employed snowshoeing as our main fitness component for the winter because quite simply, it’s good for you, it fun, and best of all it’s outside.

Snowshoeing can change your entire relationship with winter, exercise outside helps in alleviating common depression and replacing it with a healthy and wholesome alternative to visiting the gym. Here, we’ll lay out just some of the health benefits of snowshoeing.

Burn Calories

Snowshoeing provides the aerobic workout that you get from running, hiking, or biking; except with snowshoeing, you can actually burn more calories per hour than running. This is because you lift your legs much higher, and must work through more resistance when you’re snowshoeing versus when you’re running. Depending on the difficulty of the terrain, the speed with which you are walking, and the depth of snow, you can burn between 400 and 900 calories per hour!

Build Muscles

Much like running, your quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles will all reap the benefits of your snowshoeing workout. Throw in a set of poles and your back, arms, and shoulders receive a great workout as well. Not to mention uneven ground also works your stabilizer muscles and core, making this a complete full-body workout. The repetitive movement will build strength in these areas, so be sure to stretch and drink plenty of water afterward!

Low Impact

Beyond that, snowshoeing provides a low impact workout that’s easy on the knees. This is because snow acts like a cushion, absorbing shocks and bumps. One of the greatest advantages of snowshoeing is that anyone can do it at any age. Grandparents and grandkids, families, walking clubs can become snowshoe walking clubs in the winter. It’s amazingly versatile and accessible.

Snowshoeing is an enjoyable activity on rural trails and in urban settings. The general rule of thumb is: if there’s snow, you can snowshoe. There’s nothing quite like exploring your local neighborhood or park after a big snowstorm. Go during the day or strap on a headlamp and go exploring after dark in the deep silent white. Take a look at some other ways to stay active during the winter months.

What is Mountain Trek?

Mountain Trek is the health reset you’ve been looking for. Our award-winning health retreat, immersed in the lush nature of British Columbia, will help you detox, unplug, recharge, and roll back years of stress and unhealthy habits. To learn more about the retreat, and how we can help you reset your health, please email us at info@mountaintrek.com or reach out below: