Burn Those Holiday Calories--Before You Gain Them!

   While the holidays are a joyous time for most of us, there seems to be that lingering fear in some peoples' minds that it's "The Season for Plumping Up." I recently found twenty pretty cool ways to counter-act this caloric onslaught, so here we go!

   

1. Clean the house for 2 hours; turn on your favorite music and you can probably boost that number by 15% (if you dance while you vacuum, of course).
2. Garden for an hour and a half.
3. Hit the slopes; 65 minutes of just downhill skiing burns 500 calories; you need only 50 minutes of cross country skiing to burn the same.
4. One hour of Zumba burns roughly 500 calories, if you give it your full effort throughout the entire class.
5. Play 55 minutes of racquetball. Grab a partner and you won't even realize that you're working out.
6. One hour and 15 minutes of lawn mowing does the trick. Sorry, riding movers don't provide the same workout.
7. 45 minutes of back to back body weight exercise burns 500 calories.
8. Like horseback riding? An hour and 45 minutes of horseback riding burns 500 calories. Who needs the gym?
9. Two hours and ten minutes of guitar playing (standing) burns 500 calories and turns you into a rock-star.
10. Do 120 minutes of belly dancing. As a bonus, it tones your core.
11. Jump rope for only 42 minutes to burn your caloric goal; it certainly works but do beware of terribly sore calf muscles the next day. Remember to stretch. 
12. Punish a punching bag for 70 minutes. Think of someone who annoys you and swing away.
13. 45 minutes of rugby burns 500 calories.
14. Play a full court basketball game for 50 minutes; the interval type cardio will boost your cardiovascular endurance, and rev your metabolism.
15. 50 minutes of shoveling snow will meet your quota.
16. 40 minutes of martial arts blasts 500 calories, along with reducing stress and increasing focus. Judo, chop! 
17. Do 40 minutes of rock climbing. Wear a helmet!
18. Walk at a moderately brisk pace of 4 mph for 90 minutes.
19. Play volleyball and benefit from all over body toning. To burn 500 calories planning volleyball, you'll need an hour and 45 minutes of play if you're playing in a gym, or 50 minutes if you're playing in the sand.
20. Running at 6 mph (a ten minute mile) for 42 minutes will burn 500 calories.

Now Happy Eating! 

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