5 excuses to book a ski holiday

Go on, you know you want to...!

Fresh high altitude air, days out in the open, hours of exercise: keep the apres-ski in check and you'll come back from your ski or snowboard holiday far fitter than you went away. And it's fun too.

Need any more justification for booking a trip? Check out these five reasons from Mark Warner why you deserve your annual ski fix...

1. Skiing helps you burn calories and lose weight

Depending on the effort level you put in, skiing burns between 350-650 calories an hour, so whether you decide to ski all day, or take it easy and clock up just a couple of hours, you'll burn more calories than you would at home. The key to losing weight is simple; if you burn more calories than you eat, you'll lose weight. This means you can eat sensibly and use skiing as a way to lose weight, or just enjoy larger holiday portions guilt-free.

Just remember: go easy on those afternoon cakes...

2. Skiing helps flatten your stomach

Skiing helps tone core muscle groups, strengthening your stomach and lower body. Other muscles that will feel the burn are your inner thighs, outer thighs and hips. Your bottom (gluteus maximus) also gets a full-on workout.

3. Skiing improves your balance and co-ordination

If you've got good balance and coordination, you'll already ski better, but simply being on skis will also help develop these areas, making for better overall posture. And we all know, good posture helps you stand taller, look slimmer and stronger.

4. Skiing relieves depression

Skiing helps boost your circulatory system, helping you feel more energised, alert and awake. As with any exercise, skiing stimulates the production of endorphins, the naturally-produced chemical that gives you that feelgood glow.

Don't forget either that taking a ski trip can help you chill out in more ways than one: the scenery, the exhilaration, the achievement, the feeling of being at one with nature. All of these elements can help you de-stress.

5. Skiing can boost immunity

Just like any other regular exercise, the physical effort of skiing helps boost your immune system. Research shows that during moderate exercise, immune cells circulate through the body quicker and are able to kill bacteria and viruses better. The most common ski season is November to March: peak time for catching a cold or flu, and just when you need all the immunity help you can get.

Get ski fit: key areas to focus on if you want to avoid injury

Visit www.MarkWarner.co.uk/ski to find out about the ski breaks they offer.