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Health, Food & Diet
- Sugar content in alcohol - best & worst
- Coconut oil: the science
- Guilt free snacks
- 5 Post workout recipes
- 5 Common healthy eating mistakes
- Teatox – Whats it all about?
- After School Snacks for Kids
- Summer Fruits – What’s Hot, What’s Not
- The Professional Athlete Diet
- What is a Cleanse Diet?
- Losing Weight Without a Fad Diet
- Cheat Days: Worth it?
- Light Milk: Healthier than Full Cream?
- Protein Shakes – Do they really work?
- All About the IIFYM Diet
- 8 Superfoods You’ve Never Heard Of
- 5 Surprising Facts About Coffee
- The Changes Your Body Goes through When you Quit Sugar
- The Truth About Soft Drinks
- Does Detoxing Actually Work?
- Natural Alternatives to Sugar
- Replacing Artificial Sugars with Natural Energy
- Sugar in Caffeinated Drinks
- Diets 101 – The Bloodtype Diet
- Delicious Sugar Free Recipes
- The Low-Down on Artificial Sweeteners
- The Health Benefits of Smoothies
- The Aztec Diet
- Breaking Sugar Addiction
- Organic vs Non Organic Foods
- Spices of a Sunburnt Country
- 7 Healthy Kids Lunchbox Snacks
- The Great Weight Debate
- Sneaking Vegetables into your Children’s Food
- Fast or Feast? The Guide to the 5:2 Diet
- Nutrition tips for the everyday cyclist
- Creative, Fun (and healthy!) Christmas food ideas for kids
- Medical Spotlight: Heart Disease
- What's for Breakfast
- Coconut Oil – why you should make the switch
- Healthy Fast Food Options
- Salt – Friend or Foe?
- Changes to your body during pregnancy
- Spotlight on Sugar – how much sugar is in your favourite drinks?
- Five Surprising Facts about Food and Nutrition
- The Secret Sugar Hidden in Your Favourite Foods
- Are saturated fats and cholesterol really the bad guys?
- 5 Foods to Help Fight Pain
- The Importance of Potassium and Sodium
- Nutritional Truths About Sushi
- Slim Shakes and Diet Pills
- What are Macrobiotics?
- The Ketogenic Diet and Epilepsy
- Winter Foods To Keep You Warm
- What’s in season for Winter?
- Feeding fitness: Eating and exercise tips for breastfeeding mums
- Breast Milk versus Formula
- Foods that Speed Up the Ageing Process
- Beat the Winter Blues
- The Raw Food Diet
- Severe Nut Allergies: The Signs
- How to Make a Better Lunch Box for Kids
- Foods and Asthma
- Kids and Food Allergies
- The Lowdown on Homeopathy
- What is involved in traditional Chinese medicine?
- What is Ayurveda? And Why Do It?
- Diets 101: Mediterranean v Sonoma Diets
- Autumn Foods – What’s in Season?
- 5 Bad Habits Healthy People Have
- 5 Under-Appreciated Foods With Surprising Health Benefits
- Happy Valentines Day, Every Day! The Benefits of Chocolate
- Diets 101: Jenny Craig vs Weight Watchers
- Spice up your Life
- 5 Simple Fixes for Bad Eating Habits
- 5 Ways To Teach Your Kids About Healthy Food
- Don’t worry – Eat happy! 5 mood enhancing foods
- What’s in Season for Summer?
- The Fruit Superhero
- How to beat the bulge this festive season
- The best snack ideas that leave you guilt free
- Dairy – Good or bad for your health?
- What’s in Season for Spring?
- Is fasting good for you?
- Diets 101 – Atkins and Dukan Diets
- 15 reasons why it is smart to shop at local markets
- Why is fish oil good for you?
- Five foods for a healthy brain
- Recipe for the perfect breakfast shake
- Minimize the Effects of Alcohol on Your Health
- Diets 101 – Paleo & Ferris
- Die Diet Die!
- Eating Out – Restaurant Junkies
- 4 healthy habits you can build in just a few weeks
- 7 Nutritional Beliefs That Are Wrong
- 3 Kids Snacks To Replace The Happy Meal
- Monday’s medical myth: chocolate causes acne
- Monday’s medical myth: food additives cause childhood behavioural disorders
- More Than Meats The Eye
- Weight-loss TV, patience is not its virtue
- All About Eczema
- 10 Ideas on How to Stay Healthy in a Stressful Work Environment
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Sports & Fitness
- Crossfit – What’s all the hype about?
- This Year’s Hottest Fitness Trends
- How to Choose a Good Gym
- 5 Ways to Work Different Parts of Your Body
- Exercising in Cold Weather
- HIIT – Train Smarter, Not Harder!
- The Importance of Correct Form in the Gym
- Strength Training: More than simply lifting weights
- Why Men should try Women’s Workouts
- Clean Out your Gym Bag
- Alternative Forms of Cardio
- The Health Benefits of Snow Sports
- Barre – Fusing Yoga, Pilates and Ballet
- Keeping Fit with the Kids in Tow
- The Great Weight Debate
- Body Weight Workouts
- Maximise the Benefits of Cycling Training
- Nutrition tips for the everyday cyclist
- Deskercise! Your 7 Step Office Workout Guide
- How to improve your cycling
- Work the Twerk
- The Health Benefits of Playing Cricket
- Kickboxing your way to fitness!
- Let’s Dance: Shake Up Your Fitness Routine
- Fitness Myths Debunked
- Training for a Triathlon – Where to Start
- Trampolining: Not just for kids!
- Physical Culture: Let’s Get Physical
- How to Buy the Perfect Pair of Running Shoes
- Hiking, Climbing & Bushwalking Tips
- Gym bag essentials
- Assisting Recovery when Injured
- Learn to Love Your Body
- Pole Dancing for Fitness & Confidence
- Yoga for Pecs, or Peace?
- Feeding fitness: Eating and exercise tips for breastfeeding mums
- 5 Bad Habits Healthy People Have
- How to Make a Visit to the Pool Fun
- How to Prevent Stitches During Your Run
- Take Off Your Shoes! The Pleasures of Running Barefoot
- Breathing and Anxiety
- 6 Ideas on How to Carry Items Whilst Running
- Exercise at home
- How to beat tHow to beat the bulge this festive seasonhe bulge this festive season
- Brrrr it’s cold outside! Indoor sports to try this Winter
- Snow Sports
- Martial Arts – Good for Everyone!
- No More Exercise Excuses
- Tips to get your kids moving
- What is a bike fit and why get one?
- Pre-race preparation
- Pregnancy and Exercise: Is it safe?Pregnancy and Exercise: Is it safe?
- Finding motivation to get fit
- Keeping work healthy
- Rise to the challenge
- 5 Ways to Train like an Olympic Athlete
- 4 healthy habits you can build in just a few weeks
- How can I get addicted to exercise?
- What Kind of Yoga Class Should I Choose?
- 3 Reasons To Stand Up At Work
- Work Hard… Recover Harder
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Parenting & children
- 17 Bright Ideas for Vintage Games & Sports
- Sleep Series: Bed Wetting and Other Problems
- Kids Sleep Series: Changing Sleep Patterns with Age
- Choosing an Obstetrician
- What Activity is Best for My Child?
- Keeping Fit with the Kids in Tow
- The Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
- Medical Spotlight: fertility, infertility and technology
- Sleep in Toddlers and Young Children
- Sleep in Infants
- What I wish my mum had told me growing up
- Can Having a Pet Promote Better Health for Your Family?
- How to Help Your Toddler Learn to Ride a Bike
- The Importance of Family Rituals
- Yoga for Kids
- First Time Dads – What to Expect
- Music for Kids
- First Time Mums – What to Expect
- How to Make a Visit to the Pool Fun
- How to de-stress as a Mum
- Pregnancy and Exercise: Is it safe?
- Pain: The Body Speaks!
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Health insurance
- How to Select a Health Insurance Provider
- What Private Health Insurance is Right for Me?
- Uncomplexicate
- Choosing a Healthcare Professional
- Simplifying out of pocket expenses
- What to Expect When Going to Hospital
- Your handy checklist to Private Health Insurance
- First Time Mums – What to Expect
- The Costs of Pregnancy
- Private Health Insurance Explained
- Healthcare: Public vs Private
- I’m young and healthy, why do I need health insurance?
- Osteo vs. Chiro: What’s the Difference?
- Getting Health Insurance for the first time
- Australian Health Insurance: The top 10 things you need to know
The Health Benefits of Snow Sports
Ever thought of cross-country (XC) skiing out in the backcountry, observing the beauty of the natural surroundings while you skate along the tracks? How about a breath-taking trek to the top of the summit before the first run of the day to be greeted by picturesque mountain views, morning sun and fresh clean air?
If these have never crossed your mind, perhaps the health benefits of snow sports will help to trigger your interest!
Low-impact activity
Snow-sports are relatively low impact due to the gliding component of the movement. Activities involving jogging and running place impact forces of approximately 2-3 times your body weight every stride1. Comparatively, when you are gliding across the snow, you are not applying the same continuous repetition of force up through your body. In fact, ground reaction forces in downhill (alpine) skiing have been shown to be approximately half that of running in intermediate and elite, for flat and steep and low and high dynamic skiing conditions2. Low impact conditions mean that it is great for all ages. The more aggressive you hit the slopes, the more these forces will increase, so if you plan on going through more dangerous terrain or performing jumps in the park, landing forces of close to 5 times body weight have been recorded – so make sure you are well prepared and know how to brace your landings!
Cardiovascular benefits
Snow sports provide a great fun way to participate in aerobic and anaerobic exercise. The intensity of the work out will be dependent on the type of activity (e.g. XC skiing, alpine skiing or snowboarding). Cross-country skiing is indicated to provide the most intense aerobic work out and is the most continuous, which will keep the heart rate up throughout the activity. For those of you who like to count calories, XC skiing will burn through the most calories per hour (approximately 700 calories/hr)4, which is similar to how much a 70kg person would burn on a 10km run5.
Alpine skiing and snowboarding are less continuous in Australia because of the shorter runs and require more power (bursts of energy), but if you prefer the rush associated with the sensation of sliding down the mountain, then these two activities can still burn between 450 and 500 calories per hour, whilst providing you with an exciting work out.
Muscular benefits
Snow sports have a number of muscular benefits, dependent on the activity performed. Cross-country skiing will provide a good way to tone up, because of the continuous aerobic nature, whilst alpine skiing and snowboarding may provide greater benefits to muscular power. This is because these two activities require more explosive strength for sharper changes of direction and controlling the edges of the skis or snowboard, or jumping or carving in and out moguls (for the more skilled)6. Many of the large muscle groups in the body are used, including the gluteal muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. Skiers will get an arm work out when using their poles, and snowboarders get a work out using their arms to help push themselves up!
Dynamic balance
Snow sports provide a great way to unknowingly learn about and work on balance. Muscles in the legs, trunk and arms are all dynamically used to help control and maintain balance. Slight bumps in the snow require continuous core stabilisation from the trunk, whilst changing direction requires use of the upper body and trunk. Bending at the hips and knees will help you to feel more balanced, which is related to the body’s centre of mass, and holding a stable balanced stance will in turn held your muscular endurance.
Psychological benefits
Getting out in the fresh cool air and gliding about in the snow (potentially throwing snow at your friends backside) can be amazing fun. Snow sports can give you that ‘adrenaline rush’ and just make you forget, acting as a ‘release’ for all of your stressors. Physical activity, in general, has been recommended to support mental health7. Leisurely physical activity has been indicated as a positive ‘stress buffer’8, whilst moderate to high intensity physical activity plays a role in the release of neurotransmitters and activation of special ‘happy’ receptors in the brain, which may help to reduce stress and anxiety, induce a sense of well being and post-exercise calmness9. As participation in snow sports should not be done alone, these sports have the added benefit of constant social interaction, and you will have plenty of time on the lift ride up the slopes to share stories with your friends or family!