Everyone has their own idea of fun, but some activities, like snowmobiling, are fun for everyone. There’s a lot to appreciate between the fresh snow, getting outside for clean air, going fast, and more. Plus, most people don’t snowmobile alone, so it’s a great social activity.
Why is snowmobiling fun? Read on, and I will explain why everyone seems to love sledding so much, even when they aren’t the outdoorsy type.
Snowmobiling is fun either alone or with a group of friends because it’s active, and all that moving around, and excitement release adrenaline and endorphins. These chemicals make you feel nice and have pain-killing properties, but they also activate the brain’s reward center, causing you to enjoy how it feels to snowmobile.
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Is Snowmobiling Fun
Snowmobiling is a ton of fun. It’s hard not to enjoy yourself when you’re on the back of a sled, flying over a trail or mountainside.
From the jumps to the downslopes, watching nature and feeling the wind as it whips past, there’s so much going on it can be hard to isolate what makes this wintertime staple such a blast.
I’ve broken it down into a handful of easy-to-understand categories below, detailing what makes each one feel nice to us psychologically.
1 – Adrenaline and Endorphins
Snowmobiling is fun because participating in this activity causes your body to produce adrenaline and endorphins.
Adrenaline triggers your body’s fight or flight reflex, and you can get the same excitement as a life and death chase from amping up your outdoor playtime by going fast on a snowmobile.
Much like watching a scary movie, going fast, doing jumps, and feeling excitement cause adrenaline to flow, so you feel great. Plus, adrenaline is addictive, so you want more.
As the Cleveland Clinic explains, “What are endorphins? Endorphins are a type of neurotransmitter or messenger in your body. They attach to your brain’s reward centers (opioid receptors) and carry signals across your nervous system. Endorphin comes from the words “endogenous,” which means within the body, and “morphine,” an opiate pain reliever.”
In short, adrenaline and endorphins are your brain’s way of signaling chemically that it is excited and enjoying the activity.
Snowmobiling forces your body to produce this chemical happiness.
2 – Family Bonding and Friendship
People are group creatures. We naturally seek out companionship, building families, friend groups, and other social settings.
Snowmobiling can be solitary, but for most riders, it is a chance to get out with friends or family and ride together.
Sharing a bonding moment or spending time together in nature simply having a good time is fun.
Whether you ride with a passenger or alone, on trails or off-trail, riding together makes us happy. You can stop and picnic, practice tricks and play games.
Moreover, you also know that there is someone there if you have any problems or need help, which mentally makes snowmobiling a relatively low-stress activity, even though you need to stay alert.
3 – It’s A Good Workout
If you’ve only watched people snowmobile, it’s easy to miss out on how physical it is because the riders are sitting down.
We have a natural bias that tells us sitting is the same as not being active. However, the number of calories burned on average while snowmobiling classifies it as a moderate-intensity workout.
Most gym lovers don’t spend all day working out, but a snowmobiler can easily be on the trail for 8 to 10 hours when they’re having a good time.
Exercise is part of what releases the endorphins, so your muscles don’t feel fatigued. Basically, you can have more fun for longer and get a great workout that you also get to feel good about.
4 – Time Outside Is Vital
Snowmobiling makes you get outside to breathe the fresh winter air. The CDC and other health authorities have frequently counseled people to get outside more.
Being outside makes you happy and raises your quality of life and enjoyment. Seeing green trees, even those covered in snow, helps humans relax, which means more fun.
5 – For The Adventure
Most people live in cities; it’s just part of how human civilization works, so merely getting outside can seem like a real adventure.
Of course, snowmobiling is a real adventure where you may see wild animals, including dangerous types.
You may need to get out of your comfort zone, try something new, take a steeper hill or corner than you’re comfortable with, and do something you can’t get in your daily life.
For most people, a little bit of intentional adventuring is tremendous fun. Seeing new things and just escaping from the ordinary daily grind is outstanding entertainment.
6 – Stress Relief
Snowmobiling relieves stress in several ways. The adrenaline and endorphins can cause physical stress relief, especially if you deal with pain issues.
Similarly, the time spent outdoors can lower blood pressure and help relax you. This is doubly true if you’re up a mountain or in another forested area where you can see the trees.
Sharp says being outside when we play is like a boost because it “Lowers your blood pressure and reduces stress… walking among or simply looking at trees lowers blood pressure and reduces the stress-related hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Improves mood — Researchers have found that nature simply makes us happy.”
7 – It’s Relatively Affordable
Snowmobiles aren’t cheap, but you can pick up used models in excellent condition for reasonable prices.
Once you own a snowmobile and the proper helmet and clothing, all you need is gas.
Snowmobile maintenance is something most people can learn to do mainly as a DIY, and a well-maintained sled will run for a decade or more.
Gas isn’t exactly cost-effective, but sleds are relatively conservative gas users.
You’ll burn through more if you’re racing and doing tricks all day, but a full gas tank is still much easier on your wallet than other social activities.
Knowing you can ride all day and just enjoy your time makes it more fun to hit the trails.
Helpful Tips To Know About Why Snowmobiling Is Fun
If you’ve ever been on a snowmobile, then you don’t need me to tell you it’s fun. Some people want to go fast, others prefer to slow down and enjoy the scenery, but whatever your style, it’ll be a good time.
Here are a few helpful tips to know about why snowmobiling is fun.
- The great outdoors has a lot of beneficial side effects, and one of them is helping you have fun and stay safe while you snowmobile, even though you probably don’t know it. Being outside helps improve your focus, and focus matters when you’re flying down the trail. Just going out to snowmobile makes you more likely to have fun.
- You are probably also making lots of serotonin as you snowmobile, which can certainly contribute to the fun. Serotonin is often triggered by exercise and relaxation, both of which are a normal result of sledding outdoors.
- There’s one more chemical your body can produce naturally because of snowmobiling. Dopamine is a feel-good brain chemical we release when we feel happy about doing something we have previously enjoyed. So if you ever went snowmobiling or thought about it a lot, you’ll probably get a nice dopamine boost from riding.
Final Thoughts
Snowmobiling checks almost all our boxes when it comes to fun. You get to spend time outdoors with friends or family, enjoy nature, fulfill your need for speed, play, and get a workout in the process.
It’s easier to see why everyone has fun when they go snowmobiling once you realize it all adds up to put you in the perfect receptive mood for enjoying yourself.
Whether you think of yourself as active and outdoorsy or you’re more of a cozy type who prefers relaxing, there’s something in it for everyone.