Skiing or boarding — which burns more calories?
By Amanda MacMillan, Outside
Q: My buddy and I have a bet going. He says snowboarding burns more calories, I say downhill skiing does. Who’s right?
A:You and your buddy should probably buy each other a Shotzski and call it even, because the most accurate answer to your question is a big fat, “It all depends.”
According to the nonprofit trade association Snowsports Industries America, alpine skiing burns approximately 500 calories an hour while snowboarding lags slightly behind at 450. Neither stat includes time spent on the lift. But those numbers are just estimates — there are no published comparison studies—and the experts we spoke with say that in reality, it’s likely more of a toss up.
“Your skill level, the difficulty of the slope, and your technique are all going to affect the muscle groups you’re working and how many calories you’re burning,” says Kevin Jordan, a ski and snowboard instructor at Aspen Snowmass in Colorado and ambassador for Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month. (That’s January, by the way!)