Cool and Creative Ways to Burn More Calories

BY SUSAN SCHABACKER

Tired of going to the gym? Bored with your same old workout routine? Get cool, crafty, and creative with burning calories, and have more fun in the process! Instead of adulting all the time, learn to be a kid again! Schedule a play day when you can go outside and swing, jump rope, and play tag. Skateboard, rollerblade, or surf your way into getting more fit, toned, and buff. Instead of worrying about the outcome, enjoy the process. There are lots of ways to burn calories without resorting to a tried and true routine.

Tired of walking the same neighborhood blocks? Try turning online for workouts to get rid of calories and shed extra pounds. Mix up your routine and incorporate yoga, belly dancing, hula hooping, and jump roping while moving to YouTube videos. No worries about people seeing or judging you. You can even wear your pajamas.

Chomping on a piece of gum in between meals can burn calories without you even realizing it, and a simple stick of gum can curb and control appetite and promote feelings of fullness. Best bet for your teeth and gums is to opt for sugar-free gum. A 150 pound woman can blow off 11 calories or so every 12 minutes, so exercise those chompers between meals. The added perk: fresher breath, so your sweetie will enjoy kissing you!

Even drinking cold water boosts your metabolism! A study in young adults revealed that drinking 17 ounces of cold water increased calorie burning capacity by 24-30% for 90 minutes. Now that’s good news!

One thing kids do – often not even realizing it – is fidgeting. They just can’t sit still. Instead of being still all the time, we stationary adults should follow suit. The simple acts of restlessly bouncing your foot or leg, drumming on the table, twirling your hair, and playing with your rings can help you get rid of excess calories. Only drawback – it may get annoying after a while.

You may have heard that laughter is a form of medicine. We all need laughter in our lives, so embrace your own unique sense of humor. Invite friends over (or into a vid chat), turn on some comedy, and have some fun. From giggling to big belly laughs, laughing can help relieve anxiety and stress and can give a mini aerobic workout. So crack some jokes and get giggling!

The outdoorsy type? Pick a cool morning or evening to go hiking or biking. Take the scenic routes and get reconnected with nature. Pick an area with steeper inclines for a healthy challenge. You’ll get much more out of your hike or bike work out than traveling across an all one-level, flat plain. Rather stick closer to home? Stick to your own neighborhood or find a local park. How many calories can you burn biking in 30 minutes? How about 298 calories if you’re a 150 lb. woman!

Hit the pool. . . but which one? Swimming or billiards? You can burn plenty of calories with both. Swimming is an ideal exercise and can be therapeutic. Doing the crawl freestyle stroke, the butterfly, doggy paddling, and the backstroke can help improve circulation, lung capacity, strength, and flexibility. Prefer the billiards? Install your own pool table in your family room or basement and invite friends over for a celebratory game or two. Put that brewski down and turn your focus to potting that 8-ball. A 150 pound woman can shoot off about 99 calories in 35 minutes or so. Now you can treat yourself to another beer.

More fun places are skating rinks – whether you prefer ice skates, roller skates, or rollerblades. Not good at it? Fall a lot? That’s okay. Even falling down – despite the unwanted bruises and scrapes – can help take out those unwanted calories. Don’t give up and keep at it. Maybe you’ll eventually graduate to a speedy Gonzales in the speed skate.

However you choose to lose those calories and drop those pounds, exercising doesn’t have to be laborious drudgery. Make it a goal to be a kid-at-heart and have more fun working out!

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