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Guest Blog: Five Ways to Burn Calories This Summer


Cara
Cara

Blogger Biography: Cara is a veteran of the United States Navy. She was in for almost four years and now she is finishing up her degree in physical therapy. She loves the field of health promotions because she believes that getting fit can start with taking a walk with your friends or playing with your children. Her goal is to help you find a way to be fit no matter how busy you are.

Spend some time this summer outside having fun and burning calories too.

1. Build an obstacle course in your backyard.

This could be a few things in the yard that you have to maneuver around, or it could be 30 minutes of intense calisthenics, which could burn an average of 133 calories.

How we did it…

We started with hula hooping for one minute. Then each person had to run through a tunnel, do a big climb over the obstacle (aka the dog house), mow the lawn with our little lawnmower, go back through the tunnel again, kick a ball across the length of the yard and then finish with another minute of hula hooping.

To make it intense calisthenics, if someone is waiting for a turn to do something, he or she must do jumping jacks or run in place until it’s time to go.

Make this extra summer fun and throw in a water slide and/or a kiddy pool.

2. Get in a water gun fight.

It may seem simple, but 30 minutes of intense cardio running, dodging and hiding works up a big sweat and can burn up to 170 calories.

Besides what kids don’t want to shoot their parents with a water gun?

3. Pool fun.

Instead of relaxing in the sun, spend 30 minutes playing some fun pool games. 30 minutes of pool cardio burns approximately 133 calories, and tanning just gives you wrinkles anyway.

Try Marco Polo, lap races, making a whirlpool (if you’re in a small enough pool), water polo or even diving for objects. Make it fun and join in with the kids instead of watching from the sidelines.

4. Go on a scavenger hunt.

This exercise won’t break the calorie bank at 99 calories, but what better way to enjoy the summer than getting out into nature? If you are on a safe, open trail, then turn it into a race to see who can collect the most things on their list the fastest and work up a sweat.

5. Have some schoolyard fun.

Hopscotch, jump rope, dodge ball and handball all work up a big sweat and 30 minutes of these activities can burn up to 152 calories. So wow your kids with your best jump roping skills and teach them something new before they head back to school.

All the calorie counts are just an average and of course depend on how much you get into the activity. To find out what you would burn for your age and weight, there are many free tools available online with a simple web search.

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