Cross Country Skiing

Since the snow won’t seem to budge around here and the rest of the northern United States I thought here at Nature For Kids I’d hit on one of my favorite winter activities… Cross Country Skiing!!!

I can’t emphasize enough how much I love this activity and how great it is for all ages and abilities. I discovered it in college but really got into it when I was pregnant with my first child. It was a great way to stay in shape during the long winter months while I had a Buddha belly. And I was able to do it right up to the day before he was born.

Cross country skiing even rivals my all time favorite pregnant yoga video, “Prenatal Yoga“. Picture three pregnant ladies in leotards and one is named Poppy and she’s in her third trimester. It was a workout in itself just trying to hold the poses while keeping the laughter in check.
Like yoga, cross-country skiing is a low impact, whole body workout. Being low impact helps a lot, especially when pregnant because when you get closer to delivery your body releases a hormone that softens up the joints, and injuries can occur easily.
I also love it because you can see things you wouldn’t normally be able to see in the winter. And you don’t have to have the screaming engine or exhaust of a snowmobile to get you to the backcountry, just a good kick and glide.

After the baby was born I was able to carry him in a pack without any major wipeouts. I first used the front pack when he was an infant and then switched to the back-pack when he got older. Every time I started swaying back and forth he would fall fast asleep.
While outside in the cold, I always made a conscious effort to remember the comfort level of the baby. I had to learn to layer my little guy up really good. Check out the post “Winter Wear For Infants And Toddlers” here at Nature For Kids for some more great information.

After having my second child I desperately wanted a pull-behind sled so we could make it a family outing. The best equipment to make that happen is a Chariot Carrier. I’m drooling. They are so rad, and I use that word sparingly. They can be used for running, biking, hiking or cross country skiing!

(Pictures of Chariot courtesy of fellow outdoor nature mamma Katy Furniss - St. Anthony, Idaho)

 

 

Hopefully in the future we’ll get the Chariot Carrier for the little ones. Our two oldest kids however are big enough now that we’ve gotten them their own skis. We found some inexpensive used options on Ebay. I got some L.L. Bean skis for my 3-year-old. They have a snake on them and that alone made him fall in love with skiing. He wears his normal snow boots and then tightens the adjustable straps from the skis around them. My sister-in-law passed on a larger set of skis for my oldest. They’re the older three pin style of bindings but work as good as ever. We have hiking poles that adjust to their height that have an attachable basket. So they use those when they want to look like Mom and Dad. But most of the time they choose to not use poles. It seems to be easier for them to swing their arms. To teach them to cross country ski I have found that telling them to pretend like they’re kicking a ball with each step helps. I also taught them to sway back and forth putting their weight over their front leg.

The kids certainly don’t go as far or as fast as I would like but they’re learning. And if I’ve realized anything about kids, you can’t push them into anything or they won’t like it. So I get my longer trips in with my husband and then set out with my kids having a different goal or mindset… not distance but discovery!

If your interested in the Chariot Carrier or cross country skis check out the Nature For Kids Outdoor Store. If you found this cross-country skiing post to be helpful for your next family outing you may also like:

Exercises To Prepare For Snow Sports

Winter Gear For Kids

Winter Wear For Infants And Toddlers

If you have any helpful cross country skiing tips please feel free to leave a comment. Enjoy the snow!

 winter wear, nature for kids, cross country skiing, ski, winter, snow, pregnant, backpack, chariot, yoga, family outing

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