Mental Health

Skiing Linked to Happiness

By Christine Hsu | Update Date: Dec 03, 2013 12:15 PM EST

Now there's more reason to go skiing this winter. New research reveals that people are happier and healthier after a ski trip.

Korean researchers found that the enjoyment gained from a skiing holiday can help improve a person's overall happiness, health and wellbeing.

Lead researcher Hyun-Woo Lee and his team from Yonsei University had 279 people who went to three major ski resorts in South Korea fill out questionnaires.

Of all the participants, 45 percent skied, 40 percent snowboarded and 15 percent did both activities. On average participants spent four and a half days at the resort, and more than 90 percent visited ski resorts fewer than five times a year.

The study revealed that participants who reaped the most benefits were those who were most involved and who forgot about everything else while they were skiing.

Surprisingly, skiers experienced greater levels of enjoyment than snowboarders.

"Adult playfulness can influence people's happiness, while activities and socially convening around a sporting activity such as skiing have positive psychological outcomes and contribute to overall well-being," said Lee, according to the Daily Mail.

"This is also true for people who only casually participate in sports," Lee added.

The latest findings were published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life

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