The average snowboarder burns around 90 calories every 10 minutes of active boarding (excluding the time spent on the chair lift and at the après ski). Though this number will vary according to the specific person, their snowboarding skill level, and the ski slope (terrain, incline, amount of snow).
Snowboarding is considered a good calorie-burner, but just how good? We’re exploring the number of calories burned snowboarding so you can determine how much exercise you’re getting next time you hit the slopes.
Calories burned Snowboarding Calculator
How many calories do you burn snowboarding?
As with any activity, the exact number of calories burned snowboarding depends on the specific person. Different metabolisms will determine how certain bodies react to the activity of snowboarding.
While the size and makeup of one’s body change how one exerts energy throughout different activities. The usual rule of thumb is that the larger the body, the more calories burned.
However, on average, a 180-pound person will burn around 520 calories in an hour of snowboarding. Spread across the weight spectrum, you can expect around 90 calories burned snowboarding every 10 minutes of activity. Again, this does not include sitting on the chairlift or waiting in line for it.
If you would like an extra challenge and burn, try walking up the first part of the ski slope and feel that burn in your thighs and hamstrings!
How many calories do you burn snowboarding for 30 min?
Again, there is a spectrum for calories burned snowboarding. For instance, a person weighing 100 pounds will burn about 145 calories in 30 minutes. While a person weighing 280 pounds will burn about 400 calories in 30 minutes.
In addition to the body type of the snowboarder, their skill level and the characteristics of the ski slope contribute to the number of calories burned.
The skill level comes into play in that a beginner will likely fall down often throughout the activity, limiting the amount of time spent boarding and exerting energy (though getting back up, again and again, burns a fair few calories in and of itself).
While a seasoned snowboarder will spend more time boarding and will likely try more physically strenuous movements such as jumps, half-pipes, or glades that will inevitably increase their calorie burn.
While the ski slope is important in determining calories burned in that different terrains impact how much movement is involved. For instance, a path through the trees requires additional squatting, switching of directions, and sometimes even needing to take out one boot and walk uphill to a missed path!
This will burn more calories than a straight downhill run. Finally, the heavier and deeper the snow, the more energy spent as well. All of these factors influence the number of calories burned snowboarding for 30 minutes.
Why does snowboarding burn so many calories?
Snowboarding is a cardiovascular exercise. Cardiovascular exercise burns more calories than most other types of movement because it gets the heart pumping for extended durations.
Snowboarding also burns a particularly high number of calories because it uses some of the largest muscles in the body such as the thighs and glutes. The combination of holding a squatting position for long periods while getting in your cardio means lots of calories are burned.
Is snowboarding a good way to lose weight?
If you’re wondering whether or not you can swap some snowboarding in for time on the treadmill, you may be in luck. Snowboarding is considered excellent cardiovascular exercise, meaning, it gets the blood pumping and is thus, good for the heart.
Additionally, snowboarding is an intense lower body workout. If you’re trying to tone and strengthen your calves, thighs, lower stomach, and booty, snowboarding is an extremely effective activity.
Finally, snowboarding is a good way to lose weight because it’s enjoyable. You don’t tend to count down the seconds while snowboarding the way you do when holding a plank or climbing on the Stairmaster. The more you enjoy it, the longer you snowboard, and ultimately, the more calories you burn.
Final Thoughts
Now that we’ve established the impressive calorie burner that snowboarding is, why not add it into your exercise routine? Or if you’re not lucky enough to live near the slopes, now you know for your next snowboard trip just how many calories you’re burning each run. Burning calories while having a blast sounds good to us.
