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Backyard Games to Help You Burn Calories
Summer is the time for family, friends, and fun! Keep yourself active while burning a few calories and having fun while doing it! Here are 5 fun outdoor games to play this summer!
Ultimate Frisbee
If you haven’t ever played Ultimate Frisbee, you don’t know what you’re missing. To play this exciting recreational sport, you need to create 2 teams. Each team should consist of 7 players. The object of the game is to advance down a field by throwing a Frisbee back and forth among teammates. You can’t run with the Frisbee. You can only advance it by throwing it down the field to a teammate. Once someone on your team catches the Frisbee in the opposing team’s end-zone, your team receives a point. Playing Ultimate Frisbee for a mere 6 minutes can help you burn 57 calories. And, you can develop your hand-eye coordination skills in the process.
Cornhole
Cornhole is a game that was invented in Germany during the 14th century. The object of the game is to throw a bag of corn into a hole placed at the farthest end of a raised board. When your bags goes into the hole in the board, you earn 3 points. However, you can earn 1 point by simply tossing your bag anywhere on the board. An average sized person can expend up to 180 calories an hour by playing this exciting game. Cornhole is great because you can enjoy playing it by yourself or with a group of people.
Croquet
The earliest known version of croquet was played in France during medieval times. Croquet is typically played by groups of 2 or 4 people. This lively lawn game involves hitting balls through hoops in a particular sequence. In only 20 minutes of playing croquet, you can burn 57 calories.
Horseshoe Toss
If you want to have a blast in your backyard while you burn calories, consider investing in a horseshoe game. Like cornhole, horseshoe toss can be played individually or with others. When playing this game, you will stand a predetermined distance away from a metal spike that has been placed in the ground. You will attempt to throw horseshoes around the metal spike. An average sized person can expend as many as 211 calories an hour playing this popular game. To burn even more calories, you can:
- Complete warm-up exercises before starting the game
- Invest in horseshoes that weigh 2 or 2 ½ pounds
- Play a fast-paced game
- Walk around while you wait for your next turn
Kickball
The odds are good that you’ve played a game of kickball at some point in your life. You may have enjoyed engaging in this sport on a playground in elementary school. Thankfully, you never get too old to kick a ball and run around some bases. By playing kickball for 10 minutes, you can burn 79 calories. If you want to burn calories and lose weight this summer, try getting creative. In addition to spending time at the gym, you can help your cause by playing some fun games in your backyard. Best of all, you can get fit while spending some quality time with those you love. You may even start new summer traditions at your home you will enjoy for many years to come.