Snowboarding vs. Skiing: Which Is the Better Workout?

When it comes to carving lines on the mountain side, the big question remains: is snowboarding or skiing easier? One thing is for sure-it always creates a heated, healthy debate. That is to say that winter sport enthusiasts are rather pedantic in their allegiances. No one argues that the static bike is better than getting out on the trails, or that the row machine in your gym beats splashing about on the water, but when it comes to shooting down a black run at rapid speed, there are those who swear it matters whether you’re standing on two thin boards, or one slightly wider one. Does it? To get to the bottom of the question, we asked one of the world’s best snowboarders and two of its best winter sport instructors to talk us through the proven peaks and valleys of each. I’m a beginner. Where do I start? Good question. “From my experience, most people pick up skiing faster than snowboarding, especially if they’ve never done any board sports before,” says Luke Dobney, a professional ski instructor at Bramble Ski . For Dobney, the reason is pretty simple. “Two separate skis feels more natural and stable, especially when you’re going slow. You can move each leg independently, and having poles really helps you balance and get back up after a fall.” When snowboarding, both of your feet are strapped in and you’re balancing mostly on one edge, which Dobney makes it “asymmetrical and unnatural.” After initially getting to grips with it, though, Dobney says snowboarding can be easier to master. Jamie Barrow, officially the World’s Fastest Snowboarder who set a Guinness World Record with speeds of 131 mph, agrees. “If you’ve skateboarded before, snowboarding can feel more natural because you’re already used to standing sideways with both feet fixed to one board. Once you’ve got the basics, many people find they progress faster on a snowboard-the learning curve becomes very rewarding very quickly.” What are the mental and physical benefits of skiing? For members of the Professional Ski Instructors of Canada, like Guy Hetherington, head coach at All Tracks Academy , teaching skiing comes down to a three-point framework, dubbed ‘The Method’. The first pillar is The Physical, with Hetherington stressing that skiing “engages technical movement patterns-balance, edging, pressure control, coordination-that challenge both strength and finesse.” Next up is The Intellectual; “Skiing isn’t just about movement; it’s about understanding how the body interacts with the mountain,” says Hetherington. “When your mind and muscles sync for the first time on snow, the learning becomes deeply satisfying.” Finally, Hetherington points to The Emotional, the flow state that comes about when physical challenge and intellectual clarity come together. All of this makes sense, but what about more certifiable benefits? Dobney points to a randomized control test published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports which found that elderly adults saw real improvements in their fitness: better cardio capacity (by about 7%), with stronger legs and more power when they...

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