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Five Unconventional Ways to Burn Calories this Summer
You want to lose weight – or have aspirations to do so – but having a tough time getting started? The secret to getting started is to start small and to find activities that you enjoy.
The way you lose weight is not by cutting carbohydrates or fats. It is not by cutting out sugar or creamer in your coffee. The way you lose weight is by burning more calories than you eat. While exercise is the gold standard for burning calories, it doesn’t always have to involve traditional exercise or workouts. You can also lose weight by simply cutting back on the amount of food you eat, by incorporating more activity into your routine, or both.
In this article we will be covering the activity portion of weight loss. We will be covering unconventional ways to burn calories during the long, hot, dog days of summer.
Keep in mind that while these activities will help you burn calories, they are not as efficient or as effective as dedicated workouts, but they still contribute to calorie burning and work towards any weight-loss goal. Start with simple movements like these and gradually work in higher intensity exercise like walking, jogging, resistance training, etc.
Here are some unconventional ways to burn calories:
- Hiking: Take hikes in the great outdoors, explore new trails, and enjoy nature while the weather permits. Truthfully, I used to think hiking was boring as hell, but after hiking some beautiful trails across America, there is nothing that can replace this calorie burning, mind clearing activity. I’m a big fan.
- DIY Projects: Engaging in home improvement or DIY projects can involve a lot of physical activity, burning about 200-400 calories per hour. Task yourself with a new project for the summer. Work on it four to five days a week and make steady progress. Little will know, you’ll also be making steady progress in dropping the weight (just as long your diet doesn’t ruin your calorie burn).
- Geocaching: This outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS devices involves walking, hiking, and sometimes climbing. You can burn between 200-600 calories per hour during these activities. During Covid, I was introduced to this concept, and it was actually a lot of fun. You will have to pay a fee of around $40 per year to have access, but it’s well worth it, especially if it gets you moving. It does not matter where you live, Geocaching is everywhere. We have about 2,985 locations in NYC (where I live). If you are looking for ways to move more often, check this out.
- Gardening: Digging, planting, weeding, and watering can burn around 100-400 calories per hour. This is a very popular summer-time activity, but it is also incredibly effective at burning calories. It’s probably a little late now for planting summer veggies, but things like artichoke, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cilantro, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, dill, eggplant, gourds, green onion, and okra are great for the fall harvest. Go plant something, burn some calories tending to it regularly and reap all the rewards of a slimmer body and sense of accomplishment from the fruits of your labor.
- Find a Summer Hobby: If you’re struggling to find motivation to lose weight, putting a lot of energy towards a new hobby may also be a struggle, but try it. This can be things like push mowing lawns, paddle boarding, learning chess, fighting gargoyles, outdoor photography, cooking, learning a dance, painting, fishing, learning to play Pickle Ball, etc.
There you have it. That’s five unconventional ways to burn calories. If you are struggling with motivation, try and think outside the box, but understand you are going to have to push yourself into putting effort into something. Just make sure that “something” is a thing that interests and you can stick with it. Things will start to snowball and you’ll begin to create better habits.
Stay cool.
Have a cheat day!
LYLAB and LYLAS.
