Who said you have to exercise a particular way everyday in order to lose weight? There are many non-traditional and
fun things that you can do to burn extra calories and keep fit. There are also fun ways to enjoy your more traditional exercise activities.
The best thing to do is to sit and revise your workout routine and try to think of creative ways to make them enjoyable for you. Here are
10 fun activities that you can do to lose weight.
1. Walking or Jogging
Walking or jogging are fun activities to do to lose weight and to stay fit. These simple exercises are known to come with lots of health benefits such as toning your muscles, relieving stress, creating a healthier heart, improving lung capability and helping you maintain your beautiful shape and complexion.
The benefits from these two exercises are known to encourage you to do more exercises to stay fit. To make your jog or walk more fun, consider listening to music while doing so. Music is calming to the mind and will help to take your mind off the fact that you are actually exercising. It can also be a good motivation tool to carry on.
To burn more calories, try carrying weights. Anything from 1 to 5 lbs in each hand will add to your body's workload and we all know that the more weight you have, the more calories you will burn. Try walking backwards too. Walking or jogging back way will burn twice the calories as forward walking and jogging. Think of more ways to make them interesting, mix and match.
2. Cycling
Cycling is actually fun. It is something I enjoyed since I was a kid. Most people cannot remember the last time they rode a bicycle.
Cycling can however be a fun activity, especially on hike runs. It can a be a pastime activity work considering. Adults should really be taking advantage of this simple exercise and pastime activity that could in turn speed up weight loss.
Use your bike sometimes when you go out instead of driving. Biking not only burn significant amount of calories, but go on to build very healthy cardiovascular system, increases stamina and strengthen your limbs and joints. Now, hop on a bike, enjoy nature, have an adventure and breathe in some fresh air!
3. Playing ball games
There's nothing more fun than playing with a ball. It is such a versatile tool. Popular ball games such as tennis, basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, ping pong, badminton or even playing catch are all known to burn a lot of calories.
If your love is golf, it is fun, yes but you probably will not burn a lot of calories playing it. Spend some time to learn a game or two and go outside with the kids and have at least 30 minutes of fun. Before you know it, you'd have burned tons of calories doing something you enjoy.
Take advantage of sports groups and community clubs. Join a game at the park if you get the chance to do so. Even a simple game of catch can do wonders for your body. If you prefer to ball alone, try bouncing the ball off a wall at an angle so you would have to run to the opposite site to catch it. Somewhat like a v shape. This will make a good but strenuous workout because you will have to run really fast to catch the ball on the other side.
4. Swimming
Swimming is a fun activity that can burn a lot more calories than one might think. You do not need to own a private pool to be able to enjoy the benefits of swimming. There are several in schools, recreational centers and other such public places. Join a swimming class that will help you swim well and lose weight. Many classes include fun fitness training techniques such as water aerobics and yoga.
5. Dancing
Dancing is actually one of the most fun activities you could do to lose weight. Whether you are dancing alone to a slow ballroom dance or in a night club packed with crazy people, so long as you are moving, you will get some weight loss benefits. Dancing has been found to be one of the best ways to stay fit and in good shape.
Belly Dancing is said to be perfect for losing stomach, waist and hip fats. Hip hop, break dancing, salsa, ballroom, tango, Zumba and freestyle are more intense and are great for burning massive amounts of calories. If you are unable to join a class or group, consider purchasing some fun dance aerobics DVDs.
6. Stability Ball Workouts
A stability ball, balance ball or exercise ball is a relatively modern exercise accessory. It is a simple vinyl ball that is inflated to be used in various ways. These balls look like fun and they are actually fun to use.
They assist with core exercises and aids in strengthening the body's core, balance and stability. Using a stability ball is a great way to challenge one's body in a different way than your normal 'sit on the floor' abs and core workouts.
7. Roller Skating
If you are really good at balancing on roller skates or using a skate-board, then this could be a fun and easy exercise for you. If you're not so skillful at this, I recommend practicing in your yard or an empty parking lot to be safe then venture out around the community or park when you get the hang of it.
You can burn significant amounts of calories skating around for an hour or so. This is one activity that does not even seem like exercise. It is so much fun that one could easily forget that they are actually working out.
8. Trampoline Workout
Another fun activity to do to lose weight is jumping on a trampoline. Sounds juvenile, but its very fun and can be very grown-up. Invest in a mini trampoline and practice exercises that require jumping about. Simply jumping on a small trampoline, is a low-impact cardio exercise that will improve the strength of your limbs, core strength, muscle tone and balance. Even better, just a basic trampoline exercise could torch over 150 calories in 20 minutes! Imaging accomplishing that while having fun.
9. Martial Arts
Want a more high-impact activity? Try some martial arts. Almost any will do (except maybe tai chi). The most popular impact martial arts include Ju-jitsu, karate, judo, kickboxing, kung fu, Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts), tae kwon do and various mixed martial arts.
Things might start out a bit low impact, but as your training advance, things will heat up a lot. With discipline and proper diet, you could easily burn enough calories to lose weight each week. It is best to consume a high protein, fiber and vitamin rich diet when undertaking more strenuous exercises.
10. Hula Hoops
Fun yet intense, hula hoops could get you burning off up to a whopping 600 calories per hour! It is a fun exercise that can be enjoyed by anyone. A great way to start is by making goals to hula hoop on each side, left and right for a certain number of times. It is a good core exercise and can be done while watching television or listening to music.
There are different types of hoops; heavier ones for beginners and lighter ones for more advanced users. Contrary to what most might think, heavier hoops move slower and are easier to maneuver while lighter hoops require much more effort and hence result in more intense workouts. Add to the fun and intensity by adding more hoops!
