fitness • fun • fall • Newsletter • 3 min read • Oct 15, 2013 12:00:00 AM • Written by: Kat Smith
Autumn is a wonderful time of year for being outdoors and staying active with family and friends. There’s no reason you can’t burn a few calories while enjoying your favorite Halloween or fall traditions. Here are four activities that can keep you entertained and healthy!
Pumpkin Picking
Children and adults alike love wandering through the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect specimen. All of the walking, squatting, and lifting pumpkins can be a great workout too. A 160-pound adult can burn about 200 calories walking at a moderate pace for just one hour. When you do bend down to pick up a pumpkin, take care to bend using your knees with your back straight to avoid lower back strain.
Do the Monster Mash
Heading to a Halloween party? Be sure to hit the dance floor. Getting your groove on for just 15 minutes can burn almost 90 calories – which means you can totally eat that fun-sized Snickers without feeling guilty. Plus dancing can be a great way to boogie out some of your young kids excitement (and energy) before hitting the streets to trick-or-treat.
Trick or Treating
When taking your family out to trick or treat, throw on a pair of running shoes. As your kids go up to each home you can jog in place. Keep a brisk walking pace as you travel from house-to-house to burn even more calories (about 205 an hour!) Just remember to bring a flashlight, wear visible clothing, and look both ways before crossing a street.
Haunted Corn Maze
If you are lucky enough to have a haunted corn maze near your home, then get out there and enjoy it. Some corn mazes cover great distances and if a spooky creature sneaks up on you, you may just break into a run! This is a great way to increase your heart rate and enjoy the autumn evening.
Get outdoors and enjoy the fall season with these family-friendly calorie burners.
