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5 minute read So yes … the mountain air is cleansing and the scenery during a ski holiday is without doubt good for the soul. We established, explored and confirmed this in our last skiing and wellbeing post. Today we are looking at the physical, social and emotional health and wellbeing benefits of a catered ski holiday in Méribel. [gallery ids="eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnRoZWNoYWxldGNvbXBhbnkuY29tXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDIzXC8wM1wvc2tpLWZsYXRpY29uLTQucG5nIiwidGl0bGUiOiJza2kgZmxhdGljb24gNCIsImNhcHRpb24iOiIiLCJhbHQiOiIiLCJkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiI6IiJ9,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnRoZWNoYWxldGNvbXBhbnkuY29tXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDIzXC8wM1wvc2tpaW5nLTEucG5nIiwidGl0bGUiOiJza2lpbmcgMSIsImNhcHRpb24iOiIiLCJhbHQiOiIiLCJkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiI6IiJ9,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnRoZWNoYWxldGNvbXBhbnkuY29tXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDIzXC8wM1wvc2tpaW5nLWZsYXRpY29uLTMucG5nIiwidGl0bGUiOiJza2lpbmcgZmxhdGljb24gMyIsImNhcHRpb24iOiIiLCJhbHQiOiIiLCJkZXNjcmlwdGlvbiI6IiJ9"]icons from @flaticon
The physical benefits
Skiing is indisputably fantastic physical exercise that gets the happy hormones going too! Enjoyable exhilarating physical calorie burning exercise out in the open. It’s giving your body a workout, triggering endorphins, making you smile and feel better all round! It's good for strenghtening muscles, cardiovascular health, balance and co-ordination (new word alert - for me anyway - proprioception, which is ability to sense the position of your body in space) This will chime with seasoned skiiers who are comfortable on the slopes, but perhaps not so much with first-timers or beginner skiiers. Skiing is of course a high risk sport, and also one that requires a bit of perseverance when you first start. As well as possibly a few aches and pains. But just think of soothing those each evening in a lovely hot tub, with a tipple of your choice, gazing over a beautiful Méribel vista in one of our Chalets – if that put the prospect in slightly more palatable terms ... And, if taking the above into account, you are up for taking on a bit of calculated and mitigated risk, and committing to the age old mantra ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again’ ...read on for further enlightenment ref the physical benefits of skiing. Sam Murphy outlines some of these based on expert advice and information from Sally Chapman, one of the UK’s leading female skiers and a highly qualified ski instructor: ‘Aids balance and kinaesthetic awareness Staying upright on unstable and changing terrain build terrific balance skills and a greater awareness of body position Increases aerobic and anaerobic power According to the Institute of Sports Medicine and Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Innsbruck, skiing demands high levels of both aerobic and anaerobic power to facilitate repeated brief bouts of intense effort between lower-intensity periods Improves core stability Keeping the upper body ‘quiet' while moving the legs demands good core stability and postural control, German research shows Strengthens legs Skiing builds strong thigh, bottom and hip muscles. The steeper the slope, the higher the muscle activity – particularly in the thighs – says research from Brussels. Lengthens endurance Skiers are often out on the slopes for 4-6 hours a day, building aeriobic and muscular endurance. Research shows that elite skiers have a high proportion of slow-twitch, fatigue-resistant muscle fibres in their legs’ From Guardian Article 2007 – research may have moved on but I’m reckoning the above will still be relevant 16 years down the line ...A sociable sport
Because skiing is so often done en famille, or in groups of friends; and in a holiday context with down time and good food and chats, it has the added dimension of the goodness that comes from social connection. It is also the kind of sport which encourages people to make new friends. The general atmosphere and attitudes on the slopes encourages and facilitates making friends. I’m talking about cameraderie, support, ‘can do’, respect and warmth – in my experience. While I say this I am not ignoring the classic pitfall of passionate experienced skiiers enthusiastically encouraging their less experienced friends or partners down steeper slopes than they are comfortable with scenario … That happens, but there are ways to avoid this scenario with a bit of forethought …. Which may be another separate blog post down the line … So, back on track (piste?) to contemplating the social benefits of a ski holiday (over a glass of something nice ... anyone?). The recent pandemic lockdowns and resultant mental health and wellbeing fall out, has served to highlight the importance of social connection to our emotional wellbeing as a species. Socialising and bonding while learning together, along with lots of space for quality time as a family / couple / groups of friends, and making new friends, is one sure fire way to help boost this aspect of our lives individually. Learning or improving your skiing or snowboarding may be challenging but the sense of achievement as you master your skills on the slopes can do wonders for your confidence and self esteem – whatever age! Which in turn, also feeds into our sense of wellbeing.
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A mindful approach
And then there is … SNOWGA … yes, you heard right. For those who love hairing down the slopes at speed, but still want to connect with nature, and experience the stillness and energy of the mountains, or for those who simply want a slower more peaceful, mindful ski holiday experience all round … there is something called SNOWGA. Aurélia Chrétien Pomés set up eliteskiteam.com based in Méribel offers her own version of this. Yes yoga in the snow as you might have guessed, but it sounds like more than this. The company offers a mindful, zen approach to your experience of the mountains in a variety of different ways. One of which is ‘Snowga … [which] has been designed to ensure that clients enjoy a profound sense of physical and mental welleing, while situated in the beauty of the mountains. It is a completely holistic experience …' Watch their video It does look rather good if you are into a ‘mindful’ approach to la vie ….
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