8 Fit Fall Activities – You Won’t Even Realize You’re Working Out

SO, it’s nearly the end of the year and it seems like the season of gluttony is fast approaching. Halloween marks the first holiday of the season in which it is perfectly acceptable to pig out on sweets and treats. While we think it is important to treat yourself, we are also aware that it is very easy to go overboard. We urge you to practice self-control and keep up with your exercise regimen. However, it’s understandable that motivation is waning and those 5 am mornings pre-gym are getting colder and colder (hence: harder to combat).

Our solution? Stay active with fun activities so you take your mind off sweet treats and keep active without noticing it (or whining). Best of all, everyone knows that the holiday season is a great time to spend with family, and all of these can be done with your loved ones!

1. Go Hiking

Get out there and take a hike! Find any local trails and get to walking. It’s as easy as that. If you live in a big city, make do with what you got and take a long, languid walk in a park. Not only will you be staying active, but you will be taking advantage of the outdoors (and the weather’s last bearable moments). Bonus: You’ll burn about 400 calories for every hour that you hike.

2. Scenic Bike Ride

You don’t need to have competed in the Tour de France to bike. All you need to do is a)have a bicycle and, b) know how to bike. If you’re lucky, take a scenic route, but even taking a stroll through your city streets is enough to keep your heart rate up and have fun doing it. Plus, you can burn around 250 calories/hour (and this is if you’re absolutely putting in minimal effort).

 3. Apple Picking

What screams Fall more than apple picking? Arguably, nothing. Have fun picking these healthy snacks and rest assured you’ll be burning about 200 calories/hour. In addition, it will be so nice hanging out with loved ones and enjoying all that nature has to offer.

4. Pumpkin Carving

While you can file pumpkin picking under apple picking, there’s another calorie-burning activity to try… pumpkin carving! Believe us when we say that it is no easy task creating these artful masterpieces. At 39 calories for every 15 minutes, it can be safe to assume that we’ll be getting in a decent workout. (Those jack-o-lanterns take time!)

5. Rake Leaves

Those fall leaves sure are pretty when they’re on their respective trees, but they’re not so cute when they’re littering your lawn. Get together a big group and start raking! An hour is said to burn 250-270 calories. In addition, raking has a great reward system. Feel free to jump in those huge leaf piles at the end of a hard day at work!

6. Chopping Wood

Ok, so this might not be applicable to everyone. Us city dwellers really have no need to chop wood, unless we want to feel really woodsy and “farm-strong”. That being said, many people are lucky to have wood stoves and fire places that warm them up. If you’re one of these lucky folks, it’s time to stopping hiring someone to do it for you. Get your hands dirty and start chopping. In one hour you can burn up to 420 calories! You have been warned, though, it’s harder than it looks.

7. Ice Skating

Perhaps this is slightly premature. However, many skating rinks will soon begin to open its doors and allow for some recreational ice skating. Whether you’re a pro or still can’t manage to let go of the rink’s rails, you’ll have the time of your life while laughing throughout. Even if you’re spending more time falling – not flying – you can burn an estimated 390 calories/hour.

8. Touch Football

It’s football season after all! What a great way to get the boys involved than a nice game of touch football. You might finally be able to rip them from those TV screens. If you’re really hardcore and shed some serious sweat you will have burned approximately 540 calories in one hour! We should play more often…

What’s your favorite way to stay active in the Fall?