Feel the burn with winter activities

A half hour is all you need to maintain proper weight, get your blood flowing and improve health, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery, which forwarded us a list of calories burned by various winter sports from Livestrong.com.

In one hour, a 155-160 pound person can burn:

• 511 calories cross country skiing
• 365 calories downhill skiing
• 563 calories playing ice hockey
• 511 calories ice skating
• 400 calories shoveling snow by hand

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Welcome 2012 as your year to become physically fit and keep your vascular system healthy," said Dr. Anil Hingorani, a member of the Society for Vascular Surgery. "Winter sports burn calories, increase your heart rate, and keep your blood flowing at a healthy rate."

Inactivity leads to 250,000 deaths a year, according to the medical journal Circulation. Those not physically fit are 4.5 times more likely to die prematurely than fit people.