SNO shows how skiing and snowboarding can create the ultimate day of happiness
With Blue Monday fast approaching (15 January 2024) why not shake off those sad thoughts and go skiing?
Using research from mappiness* (free app created by LSE), the National Library of Medicine** (NLM) and advice from Joshua Cohen (registered nurse and ski patroller)*** SNO, the UK’s fastest growing travel company, shows how time on the slopes can create the ultimate day of happiness.
Whether a skier or snowboarder, there’s no better way to spend time carving down sweeping corduroy, floating on fresh powder, or simply enjoying the magnificent Alpine views. However, the sport also offers a great workout that provides numerous benefits to health, mental wellbeing, and quality of life.
SNO highlights registered nurse, Joshua Cohen, who reports that skiing can improve balance, strengthen muscles, burns calories and boost mental health, and more. Cohen says: “Research has shown that people who ski or snowboard are likely to have favourable psychological effects, which can be linked to general human well-being. Participants in a qualitative study of freeride skiers stated that they are motivated to engage in their sport by regularly experiencing pleasure, freedom, nature, challenge, balance, and social interactions”.
SNO also points to results from the NLM that indicate, “downhill skiing, especially when performed on a regular basis, may contribute to healthy aging by its association with a healthier lifestyle including higher levels of physical activity. Several other mechanisms suggest further favourable health effects of downhill skiing in response to specific challenges and adaptations in the musculoskeletal and postural control systems, to exposures to cold temperatures and intermittent hypoxia, and/or emotional and social benefits from outdoor recreation”.
Plus, LSE’s research on mappiness shows ‘Sports, running, exercise’ is ranked as the fourth most happiness-inducing activity. However, a skiing and snowboarding holiday isn’t just about zooming around the mountains, it’s also about socialising – usually with a well-earned pint. SNO’s look at mappiness has shown that drinking while socialising can increase happiness too; what better excuse to say yes to some après ski with friends and family?
Keep this all in mind when booking that next ski holiday. SNO has plenty of incredible options across the Alps to choose from.
Pick a five-star penthouse in the renowned resort of Val d’Isère, France. Guests of Loft 2 Aspen House (sleeping 8-10 people) can enjoy the sumptuously designed apartments creating a timeless aura with classic furnishings and rich décor. Val d’Isère sits at 1,850 metres; its ski season stretches from November to May and the slopes are fantastically snow sure. A week’s stay, from 21 April 2024, costs from £1,141 pp (for eight people sharing) and includes catered accommodation and transfers. Flights and ski pass extra.
Stay at the spectacular four-star Hotel Arlberg in St. Anton, in the Austrian Tirol. Run by the Ennemoser family for generations, guests can expect an authentic and warm welcome when staying in the centre of this famous resort. St. Anton’s vast, high altitude ski area and vibrant atmosphere make it truly world class. A week’s stay, from 23 March 2024, costs from £1,254 pp (two sharing) on a half-board basis. Flights, transfers and ski pass extra.
Alternatively, make the most of the original ski town, St Moritz in Switzerland. This high-society, exclusive resort is home to the unbeatable five-star Hotel Kulm, the oldest hotel in resort and considered the birthplace of British skiing. The hotel has three restaurants, two bars, and an indoor pool – plus other first-class amenities. A week’s stay, from 23 March 2024, costs from £3,906 pp (two sharing) and includes breakfast. Flights, transfers, meals and ski pass extra.
For more information about SNO, please visit: https://www.sno.co.uk
