5 Reasons Why Skiing Benefits Your Health

Finally, we have concrete evidence for something we've always believed: hitting the slopes for skiing or snowboarding actually boosts your wellbeing. This isn't merely because these activities bring joy and create smiles, but they genuinely enhance our physical health, mental state, blood chemistry, and longevity. The proof has been right in front of us all along: that gray-haired seventy-something effortlessly gliding past you for the umpteenth time while you're barely managing your first descent of the morning. Here's what he knows...

Natural Light

Do you experience SAD? One out of every fifty people in Britain deals with seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that typically strikes during winter's darker months. Your daily routine involves commuting in darkness, staying indoors at work, which causes serotonin levels—your brain's built-in happiness chemical—to plummet. This condition ranges from gentle winter melancholy to severe cases requiring medical intervention for normal winter functioning. The solution? Seek proper care and head for the mountains. While you might feel down about expensive slope-side drinks, that's an entirely different matter.

Rush of Excitement

We're fundamentally creatures driven by instinct—though some may dispute this view—and our fight-or-flight mechanisms require regular activation. What could be safer or more thrilling than seeking out the most challenging black diamond run available, or pushing slightly beyond your usual boundaries? This surge of excitement triggers beta receptors throughout your nervous system, accelerating your heartbeat and boosting oxygen flow to your lungs. Your brain receives powerful stimulation, and the flood of relief-induced endorphins afterward creates an almost superhuman sensation following each descent. Of course, you might counteract these benefits by indulging in post-slope celebrations at the lodge bar.

Mountain Elevation

Could this information possibly improve? Simply existing at higher elevations can help you become leaner, fitter, and more attractive—well, at least the first two claims hold water. A few years back, researchers conducted the Austrian Moderate Altitude Study, prescribing mountain walks between 1400m and 2000m for overweight men dealing with elevated blood pressure and cholesterol. The findings? High-altitude exercise strengthens cardiac function and blood flow, reduces blood pressure, and increases calorie burning. Participants also showed higher counts of fresh red blood cells. Based on this research, skiing delivers remarkable benefits, and simply reaching the summit of Aiguille du Midi (3842m) might extend your lifespan.

## Pure Mountain Air

Time spent in natural outdoor environments helps ward off illness and accelerates healing. You can escape the harmful particles that drift through city air. Harvard researchers discovered in their 1993 Six Cities study that residents of heavily polluted areas face a 26% higher risk of premature death compared to those in cleaner locations. Take a break from traffic jams and contaminated air to fill your lungs with that clean, sharp, energizing mountain atmosphere.

Skill Development

Acquiring new abilities benefits us tremendously. Your parents emphasized this truth, and they were absolutely correct—but everyone should follow this wisdom. Developing fresh capabilities during later years can delay dementia's onset. Taking on challenges like mastering a new language—which you can practice at the mountain lodge—or acquiring skills such as skiing helps minimize age-related conditions and diseases like Alzheimer's.

Why hesitate any longer? Skiing delivers not just incredible enjoyment but also scientifically validated health advantages. This combination is simply impossible to beat.

If you've never tried skiing, then you're in for a treat. It's not only fun, but you'll get a kick out of watching everyone stumble. As long as nobody gets hurt, then it's all fun and games. However, just wait til everyone starts laughing at you. LOL in the meantime go have some fun and get healthy in the process.