One condition is necessary: the presence of snow. Snowshoes are a kind of rigid plastic rafts measuring 40 to 50 cm long, which allow you to walk and float on fresh, soft or compact, beaten snow. Above the snowshoe there is a tilting device to attach shoes, both at the tip and at the ankle. This hook allows the natural flexion of the foot during walking. Under the snowshoe there are steel crampons - along the sides of the snowshoe and at the tip - a useful grip to grip even hard snow, in the presence of accumulations or small sheets of ice.
: arms and legs move alternately, and the force is modulated according to the slope of the path (flat, uphill, downhill) and / or according to the snow cover, if soft, so if the snow is fresh and floury, or beaten. When the right foot comes forward, the stick is placed in the left hand in the snow, and vice versa. In the steep uphill stretches, on the other hand, both sticks are pointed forward to then leverage and help push the legs.
It is important to adjust the hook on snowshoes, according to the type of snowshoe hike, whether on a ring path, a forest or uphill. When you are downhill or in steep or particularly demanding stretches, it is better to fix the rocker to the heel, to have the most stable and firm foot. Otherwise, during flat stretches, or on climbs, the heel is left free. In the climbs, the calves are usually the most affected by fatigue: to feel less discomfort in these muscles, it is recommended to fix the heel lift, which allows you to shorten the excursion of the ankle.
Rhythm and short steps. When approaching walking with snowshoes, it is best to avoid off-beaten paths (do not lead the way but take advantage of the openings already traced) and wide and long strides that risk sinking into the snow. The ideal is to find the good rhythm with short steps with legs spread at hip height.
Duration. It is advisable to start with walks of a maximum of 30 minutes, and then move on to an hour or more, to be adjusted according to the type of track.
(avoid cotton socks and prefer those in synthetic, breathable fabric)
The ideal clothing for snowshoeing:
- Long hiking pants, unpadded, breathable, windproof and waterproof, or tight and fit ski pants that facilitate movement (not jeans or textile pants);
- A long-sleeved shirt in synthetic technical fabric (not cotton, which tends to get wet with sweat in contact with the skin);
- A fleece, or second layer, always in breathable and perhaps windproof technical fabric, which allows you to stay warm but allow sweat to evaporate;
- A waterproof and windproof shell, better if breathable Gore-Tex or Polartec.
which allows you to burn a considerable amount of calories, so it helps you lose weight (600 calories are burned on average in one "hour), shapes the muscles of the legs and buttocks (on fresh snow, the quadriceps are toned up above all). the muscle bands of the trunk are positively affected: abdominals are trained and, thanks to the movement with the sticks, the shoulders and triceps are also worked. And again, like all aerobic activities, walking with snowshoes increases the heart rate, helps loosen fats, preserves good metabolic functioning, and activates the production of endorphins, thus helping to improve mood and counteract anxiety. Walking with snowshoes, in close contact with nature, can bring the well-known benefits of Adventure Therapy.
