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do you log skiing as exercise?

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godblessourhome
godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
in Social Groups
and if so how?

i was up yesterday. it was my first time up this season due to an abdominal surgery in december. we got up there at 9 and first run was at 9:30. we left at 3, and took an hour off for lunch. so that amounts to about 5 hours on the slopes. i figure that 2/3 of the time was spent on the lift so around 90 minutes of actual skiing. does that sound right?

i'm not sure i should count it at all since the 'exercise' from skiing is in such broken up increments of time. what do you do?

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  • dreambig_gohome
    dreambig_gohome Posts: 194 Member
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    I go ahead and log as much time as possible other than breaks and, like you said, chair lift time. But even trudging up a hill or "skating" for me [traversing for skiers] across flat stretches uses serious muscle control and energy. So if i've been out on the slopes for 6 hours, i usually only take off about a half hour for lift time total. Either way, the amount of calories expended in total body exercise means i NEVER come close to eating that many. I usually try not to overthink it too much :) BTW, snowboarding, according to mfp and other sources, burns about 422 calories per hour.
  • samuraidoctor
    samuraidoctor Posts: 29 Member
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    I log the whole time. When I compare the per hour rate to what I do with something like Zumba or running, it seems reasonable. You can also pick intensity. I figure if there are lots of lines, or I ski like in Zermatt where my husband stopped every 2 minutes to take photos, is light skiing. If the conditions are fast on groomed trails and there are no lines, moderate. Spring skiing here in the east (like today will be) and bumps would be heavy exertion.

    So far it appears to be working out about right when I compare exertion to calories in. I get wicked hungry after skiing and eat more, yet I am losing more weight as I ski on this current ski vacation. If I tried to eliminate all the standing around stuff, I'd make my self crazy.
  • stephstar15
    stephstar15 Posts: 125
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    I log by runs, and I put in my own system. So one run at my mountain (which is a very big mountain) equals 100 calories. If I am at another mountain (which I am a lot because I have a child in ski racing) then I just try to guesstimate. The small hills I put in 50 calories per run. The runs add up, and it is sooooo nice to have those extra calories for beer when you are done for the day:)
  • shivaslives
    shivaslives Posts: 279 Member
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    I've tried logging it a few different ways: Total time (minus breaks), HRM, and run time. The burn is so big with the first two methods, though, I don't think it really matters because it's tough to eat back all the calories. If you just did skiing time, it my be more accurate but you get some burn standing in those lift lines too. I think you need to figure out what method works best for you and your goals.
  • Echo_Dan
    Echo_Dan Posts: 312 Member
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    I count all time going up on the button lift (different muscles but Im still have to use control and muscle grip) and time coming down the slope. I usually knock a bit off to be on the safe side. But I normally go for about 4 hours, (not including breaks and stoppages) and usually log it as 3.5
  • MDLNH
    MDLNH Posts: 587 Member
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    It all counts and you'll be suprised by the caloric burn that a day of skiing can burn. Whether your a novice or advanced skier, it works-out your cardiovascular system as well as your muscles. I even count the days/times I'm instructing students.

    I wear my heart-rate monitor (Polar FT-7) under my gear and even in extreme cold (-25 degrees) it worked fine. There are also some web-sites that will give you an estimate for the caloric burn.

    Good Luck & Ski Safe !!!!
  • ghettobanker
    ghettobanker Posts: 14
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    I am a certified ski instructor with the Professional Ski Instructors of America. Yes....your way of logging is correct. You can even log chair lift ride if feet dangle and not on foot rest (Weight of ski and boot on calves and ankles). But logged it. Skiing is wonderful for a woman's figure. The body seperation...upper and lower make it an excellent workout. It is a great exercise for your body's legs, core, lungs, arms (pole plants with each turn).....most of all mental spirit.
  • LowcarbNY
    LowcarbNY Posts: 546 Member
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    1st ski day of this season for me. Out of 6 hours on the hill I logged 2.5 hours of skiing moderate effort (it was fast and very firm) .
    No lunch break, two hydration breaks mostly HSDQ lifts which get me up the hill almost or as fast as (depending on which one) as I ski down.
  • ghettobanker
    ghettobanker Posts: 14
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    Only time not counted is down time for lunch. The chair time is normally recovery time between reps. So count total time. It is like down time between reps with weights or areobics. Your heart, lungs and muscles are recovering on the chair. Most chairs are not that long a ride. Plus you are getting pull on your legs if you do not use the foot rest. DO a few leg lifts on the ride up. But remember, do not swing the chair. LOL happy skiing and carve on.
  • Mellamina
    Mellamina Posts: 17
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    Download the app Alpine Replay. You run it while your skiing, it logs all of your runs, vertical feet, speed, calories and takes into account all of your time on the chair.

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