Fall has arrived officially.  Life is busier than ever with the children back in school and with several major holidays swiftly approaching.  For many people, this season signals fewer visits to the gym and difficulty maintaining workout schedules.  The good news is that a lot of fall activities carry great health benefits, especially in the area of calorie burning, while also being relaxing and fun.

  • Walking.  Temperatures are cooler and outside colors are vibrant.  For every hour of hiking, expect to burn about 400 calories.  Also, this is a great time to walk through a corn maze.  The kids will have fun and walking here for an hour will burn approximately 300 calories.
  • Raking leaves.  This is one of the mandatory rites of autumn with a great health benefit.  While raking tones arm muscles, it also burns more than 100 calories every half hour.
  • Chopping wood.  Take that simulated wood chopping move practiced in the gym to tone abs to the next level.  In addition to saving money on firewood for the winter, splitting wood for 25 minutes burns 150 calories.
  • Pumpkin picking.  Walking with a 10-lb pumpkin is as good as a kettlebell workout with the added bonuses of fresh air, beautiful scenery and a 270-calorie burn.
  • Organizing a fall wardrobe.  An hour spent swapping out summer clothing and shoes for winter attire burns 240 calories.
  • Apple picking.  This is a fun activity for the entire family that helps the local economy and provides fresh fruit while burning 200 calories for every hour of picking.
  • Trick-or-Treating.  A walk with the children around the neighborhood is healthy family time, and an hour-and-a-half walk burns roughly 330 calories.  Try not to sabotage the benefits of this activity by eating too much candy.

Autumn brings a time for new and exciting fitness opportunities along with a bounty of fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables that can be picked by the consumer.  All of this, combined with family time enjoying the cool fresh air and beautiful landscapes, offers a great opportunity to live green, be green.

Autumn Bounty