Calorie burning family-fun activities

Don't spend your winter break sitting around! Here are some fun activities for the entire family.
Dec. 26, 2011 | By: The Health Local Staff

The holidays are here and you cannot wait to spend time with your family. You want to make sure you maximize the time you get to spend together, without spending the entire winter break sitting on your behind indoors. But, your family does not like the “same old same old” when it comes to winter activities. They want something new and exciting and they want you to come up with it.

In the Snow
For those who live in areas where snow is a regular occurrence, you may not always take the time to stop and appreciate it. But, playing in the snow is a great way to spend time together as a family and you have many activity options if you live somewhere near the snow.

Each of the activities listed below are guaranteed to bring lots of fun and laughter to your family with the added benefit of burning plenty of calories when you do them for at least an hour.

• Build a Snowman – burn 285 calories
• Have a Snowball Fight – burn 319 calories
• Make Snow Angels – burn 214 calories
• Cross Country Skiing (moderate speed) – 472 calories
• Tobogganing – burn 486 calories

In the Cold
You may live in an area that is regularly cold but may not have the added moisture of the snow. There are still plenty of activities you can enjoy with your family while burning plenty of calories as long as you are at them for at least an hour.

• Go for a Winter Walk – burn 270 calories
• Play Flag Football – burn 725 calories
• Play Ice Hockey – either at the local ice rink or if you have your own, even better – burn 725 calories
• Caroling – burn 129 calories

Inside the House
Your holiday activities do not have to be limited to the outside. There are plenty of family-friendly ways to spend your time together and burn calories all the while staying within the warmth of your home. So, light a fire, and get ready to burn some calories doing an hour of the following activities:

• Dancing – burn 306 calories
• Deck the hall and trim your tree – burn 247 calories
• Playing with the kids new toys – burn 123 calories

Enjoy
The most important thing to remember about family activities is to spend the time together. The holidays are about making memories and you can have a blast doing this with your family.