Although you do need appropriate gear and weather, snowshoeing is a form of winter exercise that is relatively easy to do and has several benefits. Not only does it get participants out of the gym and into the fresh air, but it also burns significantly more calories than walking.
Basic Research
Until 2002, little quantitative research had been done on the energy expended while snowshoeing, despite the popularity of the activity. In that year, a study conducted by Declan A.J. Connolly of the University of Vermont found that snowshoeing required 50 percent more energy than previously believed, and that snowshoeing at 2.95 mph on packed snow or at 2.04 mph over powdery snow burned as many calories as walking on a flat treadmill at 4 mph. Although snowshoeing generally burns more calories per mile than walking, the exact figures depend on speed, terrain and the type of snow traversed.
Speed
At 3 mph on flat terrain, a walker expends an average of 335 calories per hour, or approximately 112 calories per mile. In contrast, one mile of snowshoeing at 3 mph over flat terrain burns approximately 170 calories. As the speed of snowshoeing increases, so does energy expended vis-a-vis walking. For instance, while walking or jogging at 5.2 mph over flat terrain burns approximately 110 calories per mile, snowshoeing at only 3.5 mph over flat terrain burns an impressive 211 calories per mile.
Type of Snow and Terrain
As the terrain traversed while snowshoeing gets hillier, and as the snow becomes more powdery and less packed down, the energy expended per mile increases significantly. For example, while one mile of snowshoeing at 3 mph over flat terrain and packed snow burns about 170 calories, one mile of snowshoeing in flat terrain through powder at 3.3 mph burns about 225 calories per mile for women and 298 calories per mile for men. Add some hills to that terrain, and at a pace of just 2.9 mph caloric expenditure can jump to 267 calories per mile for women and 361 calories per mile for men. These figures compare quite favorably with the 112 calories per mile expended by walking over flat terrain at 3 mph.
Other Considerations
In addition to expending greater amounts of energy, there are other benefits to snowshoeing. It can be a safe alternative in icy conditions that could lead to slips or injuries while walking in the winter. Snowshoeing maintains cardiovascular health and, unlike walking, requires the use of every major muscle group at relatively high levels of intensity. Some drawbacks of snowshoeing are that it requires certain conditions and access to open spaces, as well as initial investments in gear such as boots, the snowshoes themselves and clothing that is appropriately warm and water-resistant.
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