Skiing is a great way to enjoy the winter weather, a great way to socialize with friends, and a great way to burn calories. But, with the downhill version especially, it is also not something that you can just run out and do some weekend without any advance planning.

Skiing requires a lot more equipment than some other sports, like running or yoga. And you'll need to take a serious look at investing in a few lessons -- just to make sure you're safely able to stop and don't go careening down the hill like in some movie (only potentially without the happy ending). The author of this article also relates skiing to sprinting, in that the calorie burn is short-lived compared to the total time spent. It's probably best as a supplement to an already solid fitness routine, as opposed to your sole means of exercise.

Other pros? Skiing is a fast sport to learn (the basics at least), and you don't have to be a ripped fitness buff to enjoy it.