Summer has to be the most active time of the year, with so many tasks and opportunities to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. While you’re busy making the most of the season, you can also burn excess calories, accelerating your progress toward your weight loss goal. Here are nine popular warm weather activities to get your metabolism going while you go through your days – no gym visits required.
1. Mop the floor
As soon as it gets warm, cleaning is at the top of the to-do list in many households. As you take out your bucket and mop and move back and forth across the floor at a steady pace, you’ll burn calories, tone your arms, and strengthen your core muscles while your metabolism heats up.
Calories Burned: 330 per hour
2. Dusting and vacuuming
Wiping your furniture, shelves, and decorations removes dust and potential allergens. It also keeps you moving, bending and stretching as you walk. Squeezing the vacuum cleaner not only removes dirt and other debris from your carpets and floors, it also activates your back and leg muscles and cranks up your internal calorie burning engines.
Calories Burned: 160 per hour
3. Ironing
Smoothing out creases and squeezing creases in your clothes and bedding is a steady, methodical job that you do on your feet. Not only does this hassle result in a pile of well-kept laundry, but it can also lead to a pile of sweat! Try ironing all of the clothes in a week at once, then hang them up so they don’t get wrinkled again. You’ll say thank you on this busy weekday morning, and your waistline will thank you too!
Calories Burned: 150 per hour
4. Paint walls
When a room in your home needs a coat of paint, there are plenty of tools and tasks to work with, from moving furniture to grabbing a roller. All of this results in significant calorie consumption, which will also help you look fresh.
Calories Burned: 350 per hour
5. Mow the lawn
Walking back and forth while your motor mower cuts the grass will keep your yard looking neat and trim your body. You don’t get the same benefits from a ride-on mower, but you can really increase your calorie burn by using a mower that is only powered by your legs.
Calories Burned: 330 per hour
6. Gardening
Digging, raking, weeding, and other gardening chores get you some fresh air and sun and get your metabolism going while you beautify your yard.
Calories Burned: 340 per hour
7. Wash the car
Sure, you can drive to the car wash, but washing, scrubbing and drying your own vehicle is comfortable on a warm day and burns calories in the process. Vacuum and buff the interior for maximum benefit.
Calories Burned: 330 per hour
8. Play with the children in the yard
Playing in the garden with the kids is an easy way to burn off a few extra calories. Do you have a swing? A slide and a climbing frame help the children recharge their batteries and stay active. The little ones will love if you join in and you will remember how fun it is to play while you get your metabolism going.
Calories Burned: 300 per hour
9. Ride a bike
Cycling around on two wheels with the warm breeze on your face is a simple joy that can take you back to carefree childhood days. Skip the skin-tight clothing and stooped posture and just head off for fun (with or without kids). As you pedal and smile, your body is burning tons of calories.
Calories Burned: 400 per hour
* The calories burned are the average for a 155-pound person, based on a report from the Harvard University School of Public Health.
