Here’s what we know: One hour of aerobic exercise decreases your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. But who cares about those (well, some people do). Other effects of this exercise effort are better quality sleep, decreased depression, more energy, and improved mood.
Cross country skiing, or Nordic skiing, is the best overall exercise for total body fitness. Easy on your knees, no pounding like running, and develops aerobic breathing while you are having fun. Like bicycling, you get free rides down the hills, and a bit of a workout uphill. The flats will be enjoyable as you learn to “kick and glide,” getting the most out of good technique.
Having grown up near the equator, where I was always outside, and later living below the Mason-Dixon line, I was very worried about moving to New England – until I went cross country skiing. It seemed like a miracle to be outside skiing along as warm as toast in nonrestrictive clothing, in the most beautiful surroundings. A great way to enjoy winter is on “skinny” skis.
Here’s the skinny on the narrow skis of Nordic skiing:
1. The equipment is less than half the cost of downhill skis, and some XC (cross country) shops sell used equipment or rent equipment.
2. If you buy the equipment, you can ski anytime there’s snow. Try a field, a park, a rail trail, a snowmobile trail, or your back yard for practicing. You will become one of those annoying people who cheers on the snowflakes. No cost to this skiing!
3. In New Hampshire there are 18 XC ski areas with groomed trails – this means they have set a track that you can put your skis in and the skiing is even easier than if you are making your own trails. They have rental equipment, for around $20 for the day, and lessons for about $20 for a group lesson, and $40 to $50 for private lessons. Trail fees are around $20 or less. And, they almost always have hot food to energize you when you run out of steam. Unique to cross country ski lodges, they welcome those who like to bring their own lunch.
4. Be sure to take a lesson if you are new to the sport. A few tips and demos on getting the most out of your efforts are well worth the cost. There are things to learn like how to stop, how to go down a hill under control – or with abandon – and how to actually glide on the skinny skis, not just “ski walk.” Then there’s the brief lesson on how to fall and just as important, how to get up gracefully.
5. Want to stay warm this winter? Ski cross country. It’s best to dress in layers. Two layers on the bottom, long johns and wind pants or something nylon and stretchy; three layers on the top, a synthetic T-shirt, a fleece, and a wind breaker. Bring a warm hat, maybe a headband also, and a scarf for windy days. Wear mittens made of synthetic material, that won’t pick up snow – just in case you fall. Leave behind the heavy snow pants and thick jackets!
A few notes: If you have skis from the ‘70s or ‘80s, nail them above your garage or fireplace. The equipment is so much better now, and remember those uncomfortable, cold boots? Now the boots are like running shoes, comfy, with the added benefit of being warm.
Skis come in waxable and no-wax styles, and you will want the no-wax for beginning, and for using in your forays onto backyard snow. If you are athletic, and want to get into zipping right along, you may want to get waxable skis later. In fact you might be jealous when you see someone zip by you using an ice skating kind of motion. This is ski skating, and it’s lots of fun, but requires a shorter ski waxed like a downhill ski, and longer poles. You can learn this by taking a “skate ski” lesson on rented skate skis at your nearby XC area.
There are two areas in southern New Hampshire, Windblown XC Ski Area in New Ipswich (call 878-2869 or info@windblownxc.com) and Granite Gorge Ski Area in the Keene/Roxbury area (call 358-5000 or info@granitegorge.com). Awaiting you are 40 kilometers of groomed trails at Windblown, 15 kilometers at Granite Gorge. There are snow shoe rentals and trails at both places.
So get outside and play. Don’t let the children have all the fun in the snow.
Michelle Scott lives in Mason.