Lose Weight the Fun Way

Weight loss, diets, and exercise have gotten a bad rap.  They have become synonymous with torture, unpleasantness, and denial of our favorite things.  However, it doesn’t have to be that way!  Weight loss doesn’t have to be a chore.  Exercise can be fun.

Weight Loss the Fun Way - Cornhole Games

In fact, you are probably burning calories and you don’t even know it.  Some of your favorite recreational activities could actually be considered a workout!  Take a look at this list.  How many calories does your favorite pastime burn?  Note these stats are for a 155 pound person.  If you weigh more, you’ll burn more.  If you weight less, you’ll burn less.

Lawn Games

Lawn bowling, similar to bocce ball, is an easy, low-exertion lawn game.  By tossing a bowling ball (slightly larger than your hand) at a jack (similar to a pool cue ball), you can burn 211 calories per hour.

Croquet players move their ball through hoops (or wickets) on the course with mallets.  This game is perfect for players of any age and can burn about 176 calories per hour.

For 60 minutes of continuous play, cornhole players burn 180 calories.  Granted, this number will significantly increase if there are plenty of heart-pumping victory dances!

By keeping a small, crocheted bag filled with 2 ounces of sand off the ground, a hacky sack player will burn at least 281 calories per hour.

Racket/Paddle Sports

Table tennis (or ping pong) is the easiest paddle sport.  However, its calorie burning capabilities can’t be ignored.  This fast-pasted game burns about 281 calories per hour.

Similar to handball, paddleball is played with a paddle.  This game is actually a great form of exercise, torching 422 calories per hour.

Squash, played with a racquet and hollow rubber ball on an indoor court, is difficult to master.  Once you’ve learned to play though, this sport would be a killer workout.  Over 840 calories are burned per hour.

Water Sports

Canoeing can provide hours of entertainment.  Whether you venture out on a lake or river, this water sport is enjoyed by many.  Depending on the speed, you can burn between 211 and 490 calories per hour.

Kayaking, a solo sport, is difficult for some to master.  However, with the extra effort comes an extra efficient workout.  Kayaking burns at least 350 calories per hour.

If you would rather use your legs than your arms, take a paddleboat for a spin.  A comfortable pace will burn about 281 calories per hour.

Perhaps powering a boat doesn’t hold much appeal for you.  Let someone else take the wheel while you water ski.  You’ll torch at least 404 calories per hour.

The ultimate water sport – swimming – burns a whopping 418 calories per hour.  Combine a leisurely swim with a boat outing and you’ll have quite the workout!

Team Sports

Grab a friend and toss a football back and forth.  You’ll burn 170 calories in an hour.  Recruit some more players; start a game of touch football and you’ll burn an amazing 594 calories in just 60 minutes.

Head over to the volleyball court and burn 234 calories each hour you play.  Start a game on a sandy beach and you’ll torch even more!

As long as you keep the pace up while walking between holes, you’ll burn 206 calories during Frisbee golf.

There can be up to 130 yards between goals.  As a result, soccer players will burn a whopping 476 calories per hour.

Similar to baseball, a casual game of kickball can be played just about anywhere.  Run as much as possible and you’ll burn 492 calories per hour.

Solo Activities

If you would rather have a bit of quite time by yourself, consider a game of solitaire.  This one-person card game can burn 108 calories per hour.

Gardening can be quite the workout.  Crawl around on your hands and knees to pull weeds and you’ll lose 316 calories per hour.

It may seem like the horse is doing all the work when you go for a ride, but the rider gets a workout too.  Horseback riding at a walk burns 246 calories per hour.  Increase the pace to a trot and you’ll torch 457 calories in the same amount of time.  If you spend an hour grooming your horse after the ride, you’ll burn another 200 calories.

Exercise doesn’t have to be boring.  And it doesn’t have to take place in a sweaty, stinky gym.  Engage in your favorite pastime and burn some extra calories.  Your waistline will thank you!

Guest blogger Lindsey Clement works for a company that sells cornhole game boards and cornhole supplies.  Once she learned she would burn calories while playing, she was more than willing to engage in some quality control tests for their product!

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2 Responses to “Lose Weight the Fun Way”

  1. Michelle says:

    Thank you for this very enlightening article. It really was a eye-opener to see how everyday activities can assist with our weight loss programme, thereby providing fun and variety.

    • Thank you Michelle… we’re delighted you like the article and ideas. Knowing all these little facts will hopefully serve as motivation to do even more of those everyday fun activities…


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