Fun ways to sneak in a burn and shed pounds effortlessly!
Host a Turn off Top Chef and become one yourself. Between chopping and table setting, you'll burn 100 calories in 38 minutes. SELF's recipe (yum!) takes about that long to whip up. And it's a crowd-pleaser!
Play off the pounds
At last, a way to exact revenge on edible nemeses like soda and pepperoni pizza. The new Kinect Sports: Calorie Challenge for Xbox Live ($4; Xbox.com) lets you go head-to-head against a virtual treat, such as the Super Soda avatar, and burn off that item's calories (100-plus for the pop!) with activities such as boxing or .
Grow to shrink
Sow pumpkin seeds now and you'll reap jack-o'-lanterns by Halloween. Spend 21 minutes tilling soil and planting in your to meet your triple-digit goal. Can you dig it?
Have a doggone good time
Leash your and hoof it to the dog park at a relaxed pace to burn 30 calories in 10 minutes. At the park, use the leash to for four minutes (40 calories). Stroll back to the homestead to erase the last 30. Bow wow!
Get the ball rolling
Watch America's dream team of female soccer stars trounce the competition in the FIFA Women's World Cup, June 26 through July 17. And do some fancy footwork of your own. Dribble and shoot your way through soccer drills for 14 minutes to boot 100 calories. Score!
Make a scene
Ever wish you were part of a flash mob? You can be! Pick a pump-you-up jam (we're partial to Britney's "Till the World Ends"), gather 10 of your most up-for-anything buddies, and practice your own choreographed ; repeating a song four times, you'll torch 100 calories. Then set out for a park or a pub to unveil your skills. (Don't forget to videotape the performance to upload to YouTube!)
Create a night to remember
Check event listings for an outdoor screening of an oldie but goody movie. Prepare and pack a picnic (20 calories in 10 minutes), lug it from the car to the grass (18 calories in 5 minutes), and toss a Frisbee for 20 minutes as you wait for the opening credits (64 calories). Then kick back, relax, and enjoy the show. Those 100 calories? Hasta la vista, baby.
Turn up the heat
Go to to find out when the sun sets, then grab your honey's hand and head to a romantic overlook (a 10-minute walk there will melt away 30 calories). After a little canoodling to set an (15 calories gone in 15 minutes), saunter back home (another 30 calories, poof!), and slide under the sheets for 16 minutes to burn the final 25. You can feel free, of course, to blast more than 100.
Jump for joy
Bouncing on a trampoline jiggles off 100 calories in 27 minutes and tones your , and . Oh, and it's also fun as all get-out. To increase the burn and get extra ab tightening, do knee tucks, suggests Kathy Kaehler, a celebrity trainer in Los Angeles: Jump up and pull your knees to your chest, reaching for your feet. Repeat, repeat, repeat!
Kick it old-school
Time to relive those carefree childhood summers. Bring a kite to the park or beach, wait for a big gust of wind, and then fly high! You'll blow away 100 calories in 12 minutes. Or pull on a pair of roller skates and take off (with a helmet, naturally), doing your best figure eights and spins whenever possible (100 nixed in 14 minutes).
Be a fair lady
The state fair may be the hub for fried, well, everything, but it's also a sweet place to tone and trim. Hit the batting cages for 10 minutes (54 calories), play a round of mini golf for 13 minutes (42 calories), and swing by the strength-o-meter to take a crack (6 calories).
Go coupon-crazy
Surf to find great deals on adventures near you. Redeem a coupon for rock climbing, one of the site's frequently discounted activities, and you'll burn 100 calories in 9 minutes while scaling a wall. Or nab an amusement park day pass, another site favorite, and you'll lose 100 in 31 minutes as you meander from ride to ride.
Make the most of a getaway
Sizzle while you sightsee. Climb the steps of Machu Picchu (or any ancient ruin) for 14 minutes to make 100 calories history. Or torch the same number wandering through a museum for 37 minutes.
Do a machine medley
Erase 100 calories the way SELF fitness director Meaghan B. Murphy does — fast! Hit the elliptical for 5 minutes (40 calories), then go all out on the rowing machine for 5 minutes (60 calories). Didn't even have time to get bored, did ya?
Hit the mat with a pal
Have a partner hold on to your feet for 5 minutes of crunches (42 calories). Then do side-by-side mountain climbers for 4 minutes (34 calories). Cap it off with 3 minutes of jumping jacks (26 calories).
Lose in the locker room
After cruising by the snack bar two (or three!) times to see the adorable guy you've had your eye on (6 minutes, 20 calories), hit the locker room for a cool-off shower (15 minutes, 40 calories). Blow-dry your hair, dress, and get ready (25 minutes, 40 calories). Bam: 100!
More Happy Ways to Burn 100*
*Calories burned based on a 135-pound woman.
Mountain bike: 11 minutes
Help a friend move: 19 minutes
Bodysurfing: 31 minutes
Paddle a kayak: 19 minutes
Shoot hoops: 21 minutes
Run around with kids: 19 minutes
Weed your garden: 21 minutes
Give a massage: 24 minutes
Sail a boat: 31 minutes
Throw darts: 38 minutes
Jam on a guitar: 31 minutes
Play hacky sack: 24 minutes
Take a hike: 16 minutes
Carry a small child: 31 minutes
Tread water: 10 minutes
Ride a horse: 24 minutes
Paint your room: 31 minutes
Play badminton: 21 minutes
Take a long nap: 104 minutes
Water-ski: 16 minutes
Play dodgeball: 19 minutes
Scuba dive: 14 minutes
Go shopping at the mall: 41 minutes
Dance the tango: 31 minutes
Give your dog a bath: 27 minutes
Bike around town (11 mph): 16 minutes
Play hopscotch: 19 minutes
Have a fencing match: 16 minutes
Do pull-ups on the monkey bars: 12 minutes
Play softball: 19 minutes
Practice the piano: 38 minutes
Do tai chi: 24 minutes
Email long-lost friends: 63 minutes
Box with a pal: 10 minutes
Raft big rapids: 19 minutes
Watch television: 94 minutes
Play beach volleyball: 12 minutes
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