Snowshoeing has been around for thousands of years. And, obviously, the art of snowshoeing has become more sophisticated over time – now it’s considered a winter sport. From the early wood-frame to the aluminum-frame models, snowshoeing has garnered quite a following throughout the world. Modern day snowshoeing is made up of casual snowshoers who hike trails for pleasure, the snowshoeing enthusiasts who trek through the backcountry, and the competitors who race.
Considering this is the fastest growing winter sport in the world (snowboarding is growing fast too, but not fast enough), snowshoeing is poised to become a monster of a market. Many involved in skiing and snowboarding utilize snowshoes to participate in some great back-country hikes to find the holy grail of mother nature: Deep, unscathed powder. Snowshoeing is a great alternative for many sports – especially those who like running.
The sport is easy to learn, virtually inexpensive (compared to other winter sports), poses little risk of injury and is a great way to exert energy during the cold winter months.
“Last season, 4,111,000 persons in the U.S. went snowshoeing at least once during the 2011/2012 winter. Participation increased 7.5 percent from the 2010/2011 season. In fact, snowshoeing was one of the only snow sports categories that enjoyed growth last season,” explained the SIA in its 2012 Participation Study.
One of the more appealing facts about snowshoeing is how it can help enrich a person’s health. Known to help maintain or improve cardiovascular fitness, the sport helps burn more than 600 calories per hour. Snowshoers can burn more than 45 percent more calories than walking or running at the same speed. Snowshoeing is a great way to pursue losing weight; however, a healthy diet should be maintained to seek the appropriate effectiveness in a healthy lifestyle as well.
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