Winter Wonderland

Is it cold enough for you yet? Here we are in just another chilling winter in Toronto. And while it may be easy for most of us to just stay inside our warm, cozy houses/apartments, there are a ton of sports that you have to take advantage of while you still can.

With the amount of snow this country has been getting, it's been a god-sent for Ski and Snowboarding companies. Skiing or Snowboarding are two exhilarating ways of exercising this winter season.

If you haven't tried either before, you're not alone. Many ski/snowboard resorts are located north of the city. But if you're willing to make the trip it's an experience you won't forget.

The first thing you want to do is make sure you're dressed properly. Going down the slopes in the cold weather will make your eyes tear up so bringing sunglasses or goggles help increase visibility. Try to stay away from jeans unless you want to feel soaked afterward.

Whether you choose to ski or snowboard, both require some form of training. Before hitting the slopes take a quick lesson to learn the basics. From my experience, skiing is the easier of the two as the individual is positioned straight ahead rather than on the side. Once the training session is over, start on the bunny hills (beginner hills).

Turns are extremely important in both sports. I used to think the best way to ski was to just ride down a hill straight ahead. Not only is this unsafe, but it is almost impossible to do depending on the steepness of the hill. The key to safe skiing and snowboarding is to effectively turn from side to side in order to maintain a constant speed. A great way to practice turns when you're not on the slopes is to practice turns on a skating rink. The fundamentals are similar even though the downhill aspect isn't there.

For the tamer individual, cross-country skiing can be an excellent source of exercise as well. Of course, the process is a lot more arduous as the sport is one of the most difficult in the world. If you want to really take on a challenge, skiing cross-country exercises almost all the muscles in the body. The use of both hands and legs are extremely important because the muscles in those body parts are where all your momentum comes from.

Don't let the cold keep you from getting out there and doing something new. For more information on skiing and snowboarding, check out www.skicanada.org. Or just check your local yellow pages for a slope near you.

DD

-check out Captain Fanatic for more Toronto Sports Blogs and other fun stuff

-also, Check out T.O. Sports Magazine, Toronto's free sports monthly magazine...Pick one UP, you know you want to. My blog entries are also posted there along with many other interesting topics.