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What burns more calories cross-country skiing or snowshoeing?

Author

James Craig

Published Jan 21, 2026

Cross-country skiing sheds 472 calories per hour. Downhill skiing burns about 354 calories per hour. Snowshoeing will burn about 472 calories per hour.

How many calories does 30 minutes of snowshoeing burn?

30 minutes of Snow shoeing burns 227 kcal.

Is cross-country skiing good for weight loss?

Burn calories: As one of the most demanding cardio sports, a dedicated session of cross-country skiing will have you burning lots of calories, which helps with weight loss. Joint health: Cross-country skiing is a low-impact activity.

Is snowshoeing good for weight loss?

Snowshoeing for Losing Weight

This makes it a super healthy choice of workout for burning calories and weight-loss purposes. A minute of snowshoeing burns 45% more calories than a minute of walking or even running at the same pace.

Do you burn more calories snowshoeing?

When you snowshoe, you can burn up to 45 percent more calories than walking or running at the same speed. Several factors contribute to this increase: exercising in cold weather increases your metabolic rate.

30 related questions found

Which is easier snowshoeing or cross-country skiing?

Compared to snowshoeing, cross-country skiing is generally more difficult to learn and is more athletic and rigorous. Cross-country skiing can be more taxing on your back and shoulders if you do not let your strong leg muscles dominate the slide-and-glide motion.

Does cross-country skiing burn more calories than running?

According to healthstatus.com, a 170-pound person burns 877 calories per hour cross-country skiing. By comparison, they'd burn 775 calories running 6 mph for an hour and 816 calories on a bike for an hour at 14-16 mph. “It is a great workout and more and more people are realizing that,” Brooks said.

Is snowshoeing better exercise than walking?

Burns Calories. Without a doubt, snowshoeing helps people keep fit and burn calories. Snowshoeing burns more calories than walking at the same pace and duration for those concerned about weight management. The weight of snowshoes and winter clothing, combined with resistance against the snow, results in more exertion.

Does snowshoeing work your abs?

You need endurance for snowshoeing. Build Some Core Strength: Snowshoers and hikers both tend to forget about the core. If you do a lot of backcountry snowshoeing with a heavy pack then you need to have a strong back and abdomen.

What muscles do you use snowshoeing?

During a snowshoeing session, the muscles that do the hard work are quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles. As you need to find balance; you will be working the whole body, especially your core. If you're using poles to help you snowshoe, you'll be using your arm muscles as well.

Why does cross-country skiing burn so many calories?

Cross-country skiing is one of the most physically taxing sports at the Winter Olympics. The seven cross-country events at the games are so exhausting that many skiers collapse immediately upon crossing the finish line. Pro skiers also move at a grueling pace — and burn a lot of calories.

What exercise burns most calories in 30 minutes?

Running at even a slow pace burns a lot of calories for 30 minutes. On average, running burns between 10.8 to 16 calories per minute and putting it at the top of the list of workouts that burn the most calories. To up the calorie burn, increase the intensity or add in sprint intervals.

What sport burns the most calories?

Running and Cycling

Running statistics show a pace of 10 mph burns the most calories per hour, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Similarly, cycling statistics show biking at 20 mph is your best bet for calorie burn. A 185-pound person burns 1,466 calories, while a 125-pound person burns 990 calories per hour.

How many calories burned cross country skiing?

Cross Country Skiing Calories Burned

550 - 600 calories per hour while skiing at 4 - 5 mph. 600 - 650 calories per hour while skiing at 5 - 8 mph.

Is snowshoeing a good cardio workout?

Though it may not have the adrenaline rush of snowboarding or skiing, snowshoeing provides significant health benefits such as: Exceptional cardiovascular workout – burn up to 1,000 calories per hour! Low-impact muscle building. Endurance building.

What are the benefits of cross country skiing?

The benefits of cross country skiing: why you should try it this...

  • It's the best known form of cardiovascular exercise. ...
  • It's a fat burner. ...
  • It strengthens all the major muscle groups. ...
  • It's easy on your joints. ...
  • It helps improve your balance. ...
  • It helps with your coordination. ...
  • It boosts your mood and wellbeing.

Is snowshoeing good for knees?

Preventing Knee Pain & Injuries While Snowshoeing

Exercise keeps the leg muscles strong and toned and keeps your ligaments supple, which can minimize the chance of injury.

What are the benefits of snowshoeing?

The benefits of snowshoeing are plentiful, but here are 8 of our favorites.

  • No Experience Necessary. The best part about snowshoeing is that the only qualifications you need is the ability to walk. ...
  • Fresh Air. ...
  • Quiet Time. ...
  • A Well-Rounded Workout. ...
  • Low Impact. ...
  • Friendly Price. ...
  • Any Time's the Right Time. ...
  • Optimize the Outdoors.

Is snowshoeing hard on knees?

Knee injuries are not uncommon among those who snowshoe, and we see it often in sports medicine. Falling to one side or sliding downhill while wearing snowshoes can lead to a knee injury because of the torsional forces applied to the joint.

How many calories does 2 hours of snowshoeing burn?

Snowshoeing can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour.

For more seasoned snowshoers, these results increase dramatically as speed and difficulty of the terrain increases. A hilly trail with powdery snow (using poles) can actually help burn over 800 calories per hour.

How many calories does skiing burn?

Intermediate and advanced skiers tend to burn between 300 and 600 calories an hour – more than enough to cancel out your lunchtime cheese fondue – though it does differ between men and women. Women can burn around 400 calories per hour on blue and red runs, while men can burn up to 200 more than that.

Do you burn more calories walking in snow?

Walking in the winter can be especially good for your health. For starters, a study in the American Journal of Human Biology found that people burn 34% more calories when they hike in cold weather than they do in more mild conditions. Think about it: trudging through snow or walking into the wind takes more energy.

Is cross-country skiing better than walking?

It's better than just walking because it provides an easier cardio workout by increasing the heart rate 5-17 beats per minute more than normal walking without increasing the perceived rate of exertion. It also provides an upper body workout that includes shoulders, arms, chest, and back muscles.

Does cross-country skiing burn more calories than swimming?

Our top spot belongs to skiing at an incredible 1348 calories per hour! Skiing is the king of all winter sports. Like swimming, skiing is a sport that works your full body. An average skier burns 654 calories per hour, but the real calorie burn comes from cross-country skiing.

Is it possible to burn 5000 calories in a day?

Basal Metabolic Rate

A 200-pound woman burns 2200 calories daily. Depending on your weight and gender, you may only need to add enough activities to burn between 500 and 3,000 calories to reach your goal of burning a total of 5,000 calories per day.