Some people like the idea of working out at gyms like Newtown Athletic Club to burn 1,000 calories. And then there are people (like me!) who prefer to burn those calories by doing things that don’t feel like a lot of work. If you hate the idea of running on the treadmill at a speed of 8-9 mph for 60 minutes, then this article is for you.
Here are some ways you can burn a thousand calories without even realizing it:
1. Hiking for 2 hours
Enjoy nature and burn calories at the same time. You can spend your weekends doing this, with constant inclines, added weight (backpack) and varied steps for that lower body and cardio workout to achieve high caloric burn.
2. Mountain biking for 1 hour and 20 minutes
Of course it would depend on your speed but generally biking in hills and mountains forces you to work your quads, core, glutes and back harder.
3. Playing football for 1 hour and 20 minutes
Football improves your agility and speed, while necessitating explosive movements and quick bursts of energy burning calories and building muscles.
4. Kayaking for 2 hours and 15 minutes
OK maybe kayaking can feel like hard work sometimes (hello arms!). But it’s still a lot of fun. It works your core and upper body. You’re constantly pushing and pulling so it’s definitely going to burn a whole lot of calories.
5. Rock climbing for an hour
Ever wonder why rock climbers have rock solid bodies? Rock climbing works on every muscle in your body and you also are required to have good grip strength. Expect a crazy calorie burn with this activity.
6. Basketball for 1 hour and a half
You’ll find yourself running intervals and the quick directional changes improve coordination whilst working your adductors and abductors.
7. Soccer for 1 hour and 20 minutes
Soccer is sort of like doing sprints plus lots of explosive ball handling. Fun sport to play and also burns a lot of calories.
8. Scuba diving for 1 hour and 35 minutes
I bet you’re surprised to find scuba diving on this list. It’s dubbed the “lazy man’s sport.” Aside from those calories burned while you’re swimming, keeping your body temperature up also burns a lot of calories.
9. Skiing for 1 hour and 40 minutes
Skiing down the mountain requires major effort, and you could burn 10 calories per minute. Climbing is even harder and can burn as much as 25 calories a minute.
10. Swimming for 1 hour and 35 minutes
Swimming at moderate pace whether in open water or a lap pool can burn a lot of calories. Michael Phelps is said to consume 12,000 calories just to fuel up his trainings.
11. Standup Paddleboarding for 2 hours
You can not only burn calories but also improve your core strength and balance with SUP. If you’re leisurely paddling you’ll of course burn less than someone who’s trying to go fast or paddling against the wind.
12. Yard work for 2 hours
Raking leaves and pulling weeds is the equivalent of moderate exercise. You burn even more calories when you move rocks, carry equipment, haul dirt or plant shrubs.
Here’s a tutorial on how to do standup paddleboarding: