You've been there. You know you need more exercise and you are going to do it this time. You will have no more failed attempts to get yourself in shape. But you still must choose the form of exercise to do. You think to yourself that it would be nice to have a program that can be done inside or outside and year-round. Besides that, you would like a program that does not wear you out but will still work all muscles the in your body.



But wait! This sounds just like skiing! Not only that, there are also many types of skiing. You've seen it: folks riding a chairlift, hopping off, turning and gliding downhill. They're all bundled up in their ski outfits. Some crash and tumble one or more times before they reach the bottom. Their skis are raised cockeyed and their face is blasted by a freezing wind.

The downhill skier is the one that mostly comes to mind when someone mentions skiing. The most popular places we hear of where the world travelers and famous people ski are The Alps, Aspen, Telluride and others.

We all are excited that skiing has become a wide open sport that many folks can enjoy all year and benefit from it physically too. It is a beautiful sport to keep your heart healthy.

These ski areas usually have chairlifts that lift you to the top to descend down extreme and not too extreme slopes. Snow can either be actual or man-made. No need to worry about getting cold as you will get warm as your activity increases.

The sport is rather easy once you get used to it. However day one is no walk in the park. Do not be surprised if you tumble quite often. It would be wise to take ski lessons and do not be surprised if you find downhill skiing to be rather expensive. When estimating the cost of a ski trip, one must consider the price of lift tickets, costs for ski site trips, renting or buying the skis, and the ski clothing costs along with sunglasses. However you probably won't mind the cost once you experience the thrills and fun of skiing - all after you learn to ski of course.

Maybe you would prefer cross-country skiing. This is much more strenuous then with downhill skiing. You have no assistance outside of your own in this type of skiing. You cannot get uphill by a chairlift because there are none. However you probably will not tumble down mountains as steep as with downhill skiing. The cost is much lower compared to downhill skiing. You can obtain trail passes and rent the skis at much lower prices. More than likely you will not need any lessons and if you do they will not cost as much as downhill skiing lessons either.

A type of cross-country skiing that needs a different sort of skis is known as "skate." While skis make this type of skiing much easier, you can also "skate" with traditional skates. You gain speed by doing the same actual movements as those of ice skating. The learning curve is not too steep however you must realize that it is tougher than with traditional cross-country skiing and much more physically challenging. You also need trails broader than with cross-country in order to really enjoy this type of skiing.

Then for those who like thrills, there is a type of skiing in which you can fly into the air from jump slopes prepared exactly for doing just that. Your endurance and flexibility will be tested on this one. This type of skiing will definitely put a pinch on your finances just as will alpine skiing. Alpine skiing is a type of skiing that allows much faster runs with fewer twisted courses.

Snowboarding is known by the skier having one wide ski without poles and it reminds us of surfing. There is also a type known as ski boarding which has skis used without poles that are shorter and broader. The ski boarder experiences some of the same thrills as with in-line roller skating or ice skating. It is much easer to pick up this type of skiing than the traditional types because of a ski board's maneuverability.

It is apparant that there is a type of skiing for everyone to enjoy. If you do not like to be in the cold then cross-country skiing is probably for you. If you like leaping into the air and hitting the slope with great impact and speed then ski jumping is probably for you. But be smart about it: invest in some lessons.