Cross country skiing – is it good training?

It is already 2 years ago I was cross country skiing last time, but luckily enough I still knew how to ski It is like riding on a bike; you learn it once and you never forget it totally.

the good skiing in Livigno

But if you did not learn to ski when you where a kid… wooooouh it is difficult in the beginning, a bit like learning to swim crawl. So if you did not do it before, be patient, and slowly slowly…You will get to be a master
In many skiresorts in the Northern Italian Alps there are really good  possibilities for cross country skiing. Here in Livigno the tracks are well prepared for both skating and traditional, and there are around 30 km tracks, not so much, but enough

So my first skiing day (even I am an “old” skier) was pretty tough, even just 1 hour… see by the way some beautiful scenery ´s down.

and well prepared tracks :-)

yeah, here we gooo!!!

But is cross country then a good way to train, and why so many is talking positively about it? Let me tell you:
– skiing cross country is in the same level with running, when looking at it as cardio training. And the harder you push the harder it gets and the higher heartrate you get.
– your muscles are also getting a good training out of it: actually you use a lot the same muscles in your upper body, as in swimming, when you push yourself forward with the poles. The big backmuscle, deltoid together with biceps and triceps are in hard pressure
– and what about your gluteus: it is important specially when looking at the cycling, to have some strong gluteus muscles, and this is what you get if skating with the skies, but also in the classic way
– your core muscles are getting a good lift and strength, and a strong core… is the way to better results in all the 3 diciplines in triathlon, but as well all the other sports

So see you on the tracks in the New Year… good skiing and yes, you can even choose a skiing holiday in Norway or Alps instead of sunny Spain