Top 5 reasons for adults to learn how to ski

A BEACH BUM’S GUIDE TO SKIING

This post is an instalment of ‘A Beach Bum’s Guide to Skiing‘. This is a series of blog posts intended to encourage and inform you about learning to ski no matter your age. As I explain on the first blog post of the series, I went on my first skiing trip when I was 30 years old, loved it and have been doing so ever since. So, I couldn’t help but share all my beginners’ advice for skiing and enjoying the après and also my tips for planning and prepping your first ski trip. And this is only the beginning!

As you can tell, I simply cannot stop talking about all the excitement that skiing entails! More than just the excitement though, I am all about embracing the steep learning curve of this illustrious sport, at an age when falling down is not second nature! However, you might be unsure as to why you should devote a considerable amount of money and time in order to take up skiing. No worries, you are in the right place.

Here are 5 very good reasons why you should learn how to ski, at any age.

1/5 REASONS TO LEARN HOW TO SKI: BECOMING A LIFETIME WINTER LOVER & LEARNER

These series of blog posts have not been named ‘A Beach Bum’s Guide’ by accident. As I mention with pretty much every opportunity I get with this blog, I have always thought of myself as a summer person and a beach addict. Before I learnt how to ski, I would mostly organise trips with hot weather and the sea in mind. Surely this is the only way for guaranteed fun and adventure?

As a result, the period after Christmas and before April was a bit of a write-off*. The winter months used to be something to be endured while waiting for the glorious summertime. This might sound ridiculous to some of you reading this blog but, for me, growing up in Greece, it is certainly not. In Mediterranean countries, life mostly revolves around the sea and the sun. Everyone battens down the hatches in the coldest or wettest of days since they never last that long anyway. When I moved to London, I inevitably took that philosophy with me… and it obviously did not work anymore. With January blues having the potential of stretching for a good 5 months, something had to change.

*For those of you breaking up the winter bleakness with a tropical trip. You are heroes. Going back to winter weather as well as work would be too much of a shock for me to bear! I have a tacit holiday planning rule. Exotic trips are to be taken close to the beginning of the summer. That way, returning to reality will not be too much of a blow…  

THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TRYING OUT NEW THINGS

Skiing has taught me that being outdoors, care-free and having fun does not necessitate perfect weather. I have learnt to appreciate the cold, wet and often miserable London autumn and winter months as they remind me that I need to start preparing for skiing season! That alone puts me in a mindset of being in the mountains… Feeling the fresh, crisp air, hearing the muffled sound of skiing or walking on snow and enjoying the cosiness of going back in a warm home at the end of a day outdoors… Granted, I have to travel abroad for that, but you can’t have it all in this life. Or can you?

Through skiing I have gotten used to the idea of being outdoors in winter. Furthermore, managing to pick up a new sport while being a busy adult, gave me the confidence and willingness to try out new things. By learning how to ski, I did not just learn how to ski. I learnt to explore other activities and experiences even if they don’t initially seem up my street. I now plan to discover the outdoors closer to home and I don’t have to wait for the weather to behave, since, here in the UK, it never does. More specifically, I am organising a hiking and stargazing trip in England or Scotland. Even though I have hiked only once in my life before, with enough preparation and good company, the sky is the limit!

I still am a summer person and a beach addict, and I always will be. But winter excites me equally now. 365 days a year to have fun. Isn’t that life-changing?    

2/5 REASONS TO LEARN HOW TO SKI: RESTING THE MIND & EXERCISING THE BODY

Skiing is a great form of exercise. Physical activity combined with the vast and beautiful mountain landscape is a balm for the soul. It is also the best way to clear your head. Skiing offers a number of health benefits especially concerning heart and circulation, as well as peripheral muscles -predominately legs. It also challenges your balance and core as a mix of endurance and resistance training. It can also be considered as a form of interval training; after pushing yourself while going down the slope, riding back up the hill is a nice break.

Most importantly, a day spent skiing doesn’t feel like an intense work out. We enjoy the stunning landscape and crisp air while knowing that afterwards, we will return to our cosy accommodation. While still being pumped full of endorphins, we can soothe those aching muscles in the hot tub. After that, it’s time to gorge, guilt free, on scrumptious mountain food, before sinking happily into a warm bed.

Furthermore, getting outdoors at a time when we tend to hibernate can help fight SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). A little cold exposure can also provide fat-burning benefits as well as a boost for the immunity system. Do I even need to mention that fresh mountain air will make you sleep like baby while also giving your lungs a break from urban pollution?

Eager to learn more about the physical and mental health benefits of skiing? Start by reading this article by Time Magazine as well as this article by Best Health Magazine.

3/5 REASONS TO LEARN HOW TO SKI: BEING SURROUNDED BY STUNNING NATURAL SCENERY

Letting the eyes wander over the mountain tops is as close to a meditative state as those of us who don’t meditate will ever get. I’d say it is similar to gazing into the distant horizon while at sea. That sense of infinity and awe is strangely overwhelming and calming at the same time. A welcoming break for our eyes and brains which are overstimulated by the incessant exposure to unsolicited information flow through a screen and burdened by constant busyness.

The snow-capped mountains stimulate other senses too. Listening to the sound of the crunch when stepping onto fresh snow, noticing all background noises being dulled and muffled… Feeling the crisp air on your face and smelling the burnt wood or hearty mountain food…

What a wonderland the snow-capped mountains are compared to the urban environments that most of us are accustomed to. I work full time in building design and I truly believe that considerate architecture and efficient city planning can improve our lives almost as much as great healthcare and education can. However, being immersed in the extraordinary sceneries of the great mountain ranges of the planet cannot be substituted by anything urban. Even the most advantageous state of city living cannot compare with getting out there. And a winter sport such as skiing is a perfect opportunity and excuse to do so. 

4/5 REASONS TO LEARN HOW TO SKI: SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS

It doesn’t matter if you are a group of friends, a family with kids, an extended family of three generations or a couple. It does not matter if you intend to ski all day, wine and dine or drink till dawn. The mountains have something for everyone. A ski trip is a perfect opportunity for getting together. However, it also offers some time in solitude which might be… godsent, because let’s face it, holidays with family can get… intense! How is that possible? Well, you can choose to ski together, eat together and stay on the same place. Or you can just ski in pairs, or even alone and just meet up over lunch on the slopes or at dinner. Skiing can be as social or solitary experience as you would like to make it. 

A ski trip is also possible even if there are non-skiers in your group. There is no need for all of you to spend all day every day on the pistes if that’s not what everyone wants. Afternoons chilling by the fire, mornings at the spa or days doing other snow related activities will do the trick for those who don’t ski. All major ski resorts now have plenty of super fun activities in the snow. Snowshoeing, winter walking, tobogganing or even dog sledding and rides with horse drawn carriages… There is so much to do that does not involve skiing or snowboarding. Also, many US and Canadian resorts are situated in close proximity to other natural sights which are definitely worth exploring. My guides to Banff National Park, Canada will provide you with ample inspiration if you plan to visit stunning Alberta.

All in all, skiing and being in the mountains is a multi-generational experience. There is something about spending time in the wilderness that definitely bonds people together, setting the scene for everlasting memories. 

5/5 REASONS TO LEARN HOW TO SKI: HAVING A THRILLING TIME (LITERALLY)

When was the last time you experienced an adrenaline rush? Work stress doesn’t count. Even though I love sitting on a beach with a good book gazing at the sea for hours, there is something that just can’t compare with skiing. I guess maybe surfing does, but I have not surfed…. yet!

Regardless of your ski competency level, a skier or boarder can constantly push themselves to become better; make it down that hard piste a bit smoother or a lot faster. Achieving something new is rewarding and fun and it’s a pity to get that feeling only with… work? If at all…

Anyway, you don’t need to be an adrenaline junkie to appreciate skiing. I am far from it. In fact, it is as thrilling or as relaxing an activity as you would like it to be (though as a beginner, your first lessons will not be relaxing but it will get better soon enough!). Just start après ski earlier when you are feeling like taking it easy. You are on holiday after all!

My point is that skiing is thrilling, it’s fun. Whether a daredevil or a calm-as-a-Hindu-cow kind of a person, the list of fun things to do seems to be getting smaller as we get older. Life only seems to get busier and responsibilities only seem to multiply. So, we should not be letting opportunities to have pure, simple fun pass us by! Who is with me?

FINAL THOUGHTS

So, there you have it. If these reasons do not convince you to hit the slopes, then I am not sure what will. Maybe some inspiration from the big screen might do the trick; check out my blog post on my favourite snowy films. Or maybe you should read about all the life lessons I learnt while learning how to ski.

There is so much more to skiing than parallel turns and snowplough, especially for those of us who have never veered towards the mountains or cold climates before; so much useful life knowledge to acquire and so many wonderful experiences to be had. You will be truly inspired towards not only skiing, but towards a life in the great outdoors no matter the weather or location. And that alone sure makes it worth your while.