The body is then no longer able to sufficiently warm up the air we breathe. “
A two-day basic course with an overnight stay with breakfast costs from 209 euros per person (www.kiteschool.it, Tel. 0039/335/6026836).
From mid-January, snowkiters meet every year in the Upper Engadin, Switzerland – and there are more every year. On the Bernina Pass and Lake Silvaplana, kite pilots will find attractive areas with constant wind and plenty of space for daring jumps. With up to 80 kilometers per hour they whiz across the snow at full speed. The Silvaplana Snowkite School has been offering courses for beginners and advanced skiers since 1994. A three-hour basic course costs 120 Swiss francs, which is around 100 euros (www.kitesailing.ch, Tel. 0041/81/8289767).
Daring jumps in South Tyrol
On the Rittner Horn near Bolzano in South Tyrol with its wide, snow-covered areas, snowkiters can experience the limitless sport between sky and snow against the breathtaking backdrop of the Sarntal Alps. Experienced kiters jump there up to 100 meters and more than 10 meters high. The Skywalker kite school, which also runs kite schools on Feldberg in the Black Forest and in Zell am See in Austria, offers a four-hour basic course from 120 euros and an intensive day course "Kite in a day" for two people with a teacher for 190 euros per person (http://it.kiteschule-skywalker.de, Tel. 0711/67349891).
However, the promised land of all snow kiters is the mountain village of Geilo in Norway. Many snow kite professionals spend the whole winter on the Hardangervidda plateau in what is probably the best snow kite spot in the world. This is where the elite of the new trend sport meets "Cruising" and "Slide" and to daring jumps for seconds "Airtimes". No question about it, kiting is cool. Tour operator "Ski and more" offers seven nights in Geilo, two nights on the ferry including parking space from Kiel to Oslo in an eight-bed apartment from 279 euros per person (www.snowkiten-norwegen.de, Tel. 0431/2597030). There are great snowkite impressions in our photo show.
Hard-core people do not shy away from getting into the bicycle saddle or jogging shoes, even at temperatures around freezing point or below. They are right. Sport is healthy, even if it’s uncomfortable outside. Tobogganing, ice skating, skiing or snowboarding are unthinkable without snow and ice – and a good opportunity to fill up with a little oxygen and light, even during the dark season.
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In winter, our daily dose of sun rays is far too short. The sun would do us good, especially in the cold season. UV light is absorbed through the skin, which stimulates vitamin D production. Only a small part of this vitamin is absorbed through food, but it is important for bones and nerves – and stimulates hormone metabolism.
Training your immune system
Similar to saunas and contrast baths, exercise in the cold strengthens the immune system. "To a certain extent, it is a positive stimulus that works practically like a workout for the immune system" says Winfried Banzer, sports medicine specialist at Goethe University Frankfurt. "Athletes should only move their training indoors in harsh temperatures of around minus 15 degrees.
The body is then no longer able to sufficiently warm up the air we breathe."
The icy air irritates the alveoli, it comes to a dry cough – or in sensitive people even to stress-induced asthma with shortness of breath. This has nothing to do with a common cold cough.
Up from the sofa!
But sitting around is not a solution even when it’s freezing cold: walks and quiet endurance sports such as Nordic walking or skiing are still healthy then. You should also use the opportunity for cross-country skiing. The main thing is that breathing is calm and even during the exertion. So it pays to motivate yourself. The following applies in particular among winter sports enthusiasts: "There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing." With breathable sweaters you avoid heat build-up.
Synthetic fibers are better than wool or cotton because they do not absorb sweat, but release it to the outside. Sports medicine real japaneese brides specialist Banzer recommends the onion look: Functional underwear ensures dry skin, over which it is best to wear a fleece sweater that fulfills the same purpose. A thermal jacket protects against the cold, a rain jacket against snow. In fact, it is initially uncomfortable to be active in freezing temperatures. The throat becomes dry quickly, and the bronchi and lungs begin to hurt. The cold air cools the mucous membranes and airways. The greater the effort, the deeper athletes breathe in and the more irritated their airways are. Some sports, such as cycling, should therefore not necessarily be practiced at temperatures below ten degrees below zero. The wind speed, the wind chill effect, makes the temperature feel several degrees colder than it actually is. Intermittent and high-speed training should also be avoided. After all, we now know:
The body is also trained at moderate speeds.
Since the temperature is regulated up to 50 percent over the head, it makes sense for winter sports enthusiasts to wear a hat or headband even when the temperature is low. Above all, the forehead needs to stay dry and warm. Light gloves are also useful because the hands cool down particularly quickly due to their large skin surface.
Basically, the expert recommends starting off with a slight shiver rather than wearing too warm clothes. Anyone who undresses on the way because they sweat runs the risk of catching a cold. In the first 30 minutes after physical activity, the body is particularly prone to getting cold. It is best for athletes to change their damp clothes for dry clothes immediately after running or skiing and initially stay in the warm. If the temperature drops to minus six to minus 15 degrees, experts recommend wearing a face mask. This can also be a scarf that is pulled over the mouth. Change your breathing and breathe in through your nose instead of your mouth. >>
Get fit for the slopes
Around 60,000 people injure themselves every year on their winter vacation. Often it is the untrained who end up getting off the plane with a cast and a cane. But the time to prepare is usually short: Christmas shopping is on the agenda, there is pressure at work until the last day before the Christmas holidays. Above all, skiers and snowboarders should get fit for fun on the slopes. Endurance, strong muscles and balance are required if you want to swing down the slopes calmly and loosely in a crouched position. It is best to start the exercises a month or two before the trip. Two weekly training units of half an hour each can make a difference.
The falls are part of skiing, just like snow and hut magic. Knee injuries occur in around 40 percent of all skiing accidents. The hips and shoulders are also vulnerable, as are tendons, ligaments and joints. With stretch exercises you keep them supple, which significantly reduces the risk of injury. Incidentally, various yoga positions are very suitable as a preparation for skiing: They stretch ligaments and joints and increase strength. Running and swimming build endurance, and experts recommend avoiding spending all day on the boards. Most accidents happen on the third day of vacation: when the untrained muscles are tired, accidents are particularly common. Most of them even happen without outside participation, because the skiers are exhausted. Diet is also important to keep you going in the cold, especially drinking. "Many athletes feel they sweat less in the cold" says medic Banzer. Athletes should also take care to balance their fluid balance in winter. For longer tours on the boards, it is advisable to take a pot of fruit or herbal tea with you. To replace the minerals that the body sweats out, experts recommend magnesium tablets. We have put together a few exercises to get you fit for the slopes.
Guests of the Hotel Alyeska are surprised with an unusual question at check-in: "Do you want a wake-up call when the northern lights appear?" You don’t say no – especially since the well-traveled holidaymaker from Europe often lies awake for the first few nights anyway due to jetlag. You can see pictures of the northern lights in our photo show.
The time between September and March, especially in midwinter, is the best time to enjoy the natural spectacle of the northern lights. And Alaska, the largest and northernmost state in the USA, has the best box seats and the best stage for the so-called aurora borealis. But there is no set playing time or schedule.
Brightly colored veils
The northern lights are capricious divas who often let their admirers stew for hours and days. Until they turn up at an unexpected time and put on such a show in the sky that the frustration of waiting immediately turns into breathless enthusiasm. It is a mystical dance of brightly colored veils in which one believes to recognize figures, animals or mythical creatures.
Anyone who has ever experienced the northern lights feels like a junkie who wants more and more of the material. Polar lights – in Alaska they are called Northern Lights or Auroras – are caused by the impact of charged particles, the so-called solar wind, on the earth’s atmosphere. In general, the closer to the North Pole, the more spectacular the Northern Lights show. The prevailing weather and light conditions play an important role.
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The ideal prerequisite for observing the northern lights is a cold, cloudless night and a location outside the city if possible so that the artificial lighting does not compete with the northern lights. The full moon can also reduce the luminosity of the auroras. In principle, northern lights occur all year round. But because of the constant brightness in the summer months, they are not noticeable. >>
In Alaska, the Aurora Borealis (travel) program is on: In the largest cities Anchorage and Fairbanks there are countless tours that are at least garnished with the observation of the northern lights. The Eagle River Nature Center outside of Anchorage is one of the most sought-after places to see the Northern Lights. Astronomy courses are held every first and third Friday of the month in winter and spring.