Skip to Content

7 Calorie Burning Activities for Fall

Looking for some calorie burning activities during the cooler months of Fall?

Calorie burning activities are really plentiful this time of year. It’s kind of the hustle and bustle time when everyone is enjoying the Fall Activities with cooler temperatures while preparing for Winter.

But cooler temperatures can also be very detrimental on your diet. I mean, all I have to hear is comfort foods and my mouth starts watering. It’s hard to stay fit and active when you want to eat all the time.

Because if you’re like me, the cooler temperatures make you want to eat those comfort foods to stay warm. Hoodies and jeans just aren’t enough to stay warm anymore. You may feel the need to be like a squirrel and store food in your cheeks to stay warm.

And in the Fall, this need is met over and over again by enjoying high calorie comfort foods. Oh. My. Goodness. Your diet is wrecked.

Listen to Podcast Episode 37 HERE:

 

Not To Worry, Friend

It’s just a season. It’s just cooler temperatures. There are other ways to keep warm than eating. Enjoy your comfort foods in moderation.

Then, turn your mindset on to being more active to stay warm. There are MANY calorie burning activities you and your family can partake in this Fall.

As a start, here are my top 7 productive and fun calorie burning activities to keep on track.

Calorie Burning Activities

Cleaning Out Summer Garden Spots

The Summer garden is winding down. Those tomatoes and pepper plants will die after the first frost. So, keep them alive for as long as possible. But when they are dead, it’s time to say bye bye and clean them up.

Cleaning up garden spots this fall can help you prepare your soil for the next season. This involves:

Finally, fertilize your soil this fall if you need to. Complete a soil test to determine if it needs any fertilizer.

All of this takes a lot of physical work, which in turn burns some calories.

Training & Running Fall Races

Fall is a popular time to run some races. Why? Because the weather is cooler and beautiful! This makes it very very pleasant for getting out and running as much as possible.

In fact, start running a little bit each day. By running/walking a course a little bit further each day, you can train and run 5K’s in less than 6 weeks! It’s true!

To keep you accountable, find some running buddies or a running group to join in with. You’ll find life long friends with this group, which in turn will produce a life long lasting change in your life.

Not a runner? No problem! Become a walker first. Kill two birds with one stone by walking around some pumpkin patches this Fall.

calorie burning activities

Visiting Pumpkin Patches

Yes, pumpkin patches. And apple orchards. There are many great options for enjoying local fresh Fall produce and special seasonal treats.

How can this make the list of calorie burning activities?

Because of all the calorie burning activities offered by the patch and orchard owners. Such as the corn maze. Apple picking. And pumpkin lifting.

No, you may not burn as many calories as you would if you were going to the gym. But, you will burn some chasing your excited kids around looking for the perfect pumpkins to display on your front porch.

Raking Leaves

It’s no one’s favorite chore! But it has to be done, right?

If you’re the type of person who must have a clean yard, raking leaves is the right calorie burning activity for you. The good new is, raking leaves is a good calorie burning activity. It also ranks high for ab and arm workouts.

The leaves can be used for crafts, organic matter, or just a fun game of jumping into the leaves. You can read more about this HERE.

And, you’re trees may not only be losing it’s leaves. It could be going nuts as well!

calorie burning activities

Picking Up Fallen Nuts

Do you have a market in your area for nuts, such as Black Walnuts or Acorns? Why not pick them up and sell the things? Become a squirrel and pick up nuts all over the ground.

Why bother?

Because it’s easy cash. They are already on the ground. All you have to do is take the time to pick them up.

And this year Black Walnuts were selling for $5 more than last year. I sold 430 pounds of black walnuts and received $65 in cash handed right to me. Hello, Christmas money.

Also, I tracked calories burned with my Fit Bit for 30 minutes while picking up black walnuts. For 30 minutes, I burned just over 100 calories. So, according to that, picking up black walnuts for 2 hours a day could help me burn around 400 calories.

That’s why you should bother picking up nuts. If you’re not into bending over and picking them up, invest in one of these. They work great.

You’ll feel like you’re being really productive collecting all your nuts while burning calories! Talk about multitasking.

Organizing, Decluttering, & Storing

Here we go with the squirrel analogies. There’s just something about cooler temperatures that makes us want to prepare for hibernation. Burn some calories while you work. 

First of all, declutter. Eliminate 80% of anything you won’t use 20% of the time. For reals. Not convinced? I wasn’t either.

Hear me out…you don’t have to throw away. You can sell it. You can give it away. Recycle it! Just eliminate it from your life. I’m telling you. You will feel like a free person after completion.

Next, organize. When you have the 20% of your life that you use 80% of the time, organize it. This will help you to find what you need. Even though you’ll have less, you’ll still want to find things you need more quickly.

If you’re into storing food for the Winter like me, use this time to organize jars and freezer space as well.

Finally, store. Collectibles and things of value that my husband refuses to get rid of – All stored in a super safe place. Out of sight. I won’t be tripping over it and it won’t be cluttered.

How does this burn calories? Moving, climbing, reaching, lifting. You may not be burning a ton of calories, but you will burn some depending on how long you work for.

After you’ve organized your home or barn for Winter, it’s time to get out and enjoy the weather some more.

Calorie Burning Activities

Exploring the Country Scenery 

Ok, time for some fun. Hiking is great this time of year, thanks to the cool temperatures. Pack up a farm fresh picnic basket, some comfortable shoes and head out to the trails.

You shouldn’t have to go far to find safe trails. Even hike on your own land, such as a field or pasture. It’s kind of like a staycation and a nice get away to enjoy the beautiful changing Fall scenery.

Maybe you could take your fishing poles along to fish in a pond or lake after your hike. Make up games to play while out and about. Many outdoor families also enjoy hunting this time of year. Whatever you’re doing outdoors, it’s more than likely one of the many calorie burning activities.

And wear your tracker, such as the Fitbit Charge HR, if you want to know how many calories you’re burning. It won’t be perfect, but it’s really close. It will also track your heart rate and mileage to see how far you’ve hiked.

For the picnic basket, choose lower calorie treats such as cooked meats, flat bread for sandwiches, fresh carrot sticks, cheese and apples. A delicious and fun way to enjoy a meal while getting some exercise and enjoying the beautiful changing colors of the country in the Fall.

Honorable Mention: Attending Football Games

Fall would not be Fall without Football Games! Whether it’s Little League, High School or College, the pigskin is just a part of Fall.

How do you burn calories at football games? Well, depends on how active you are. And if you pick the right days to attend, you’ll want to be active. Because you’ll more than likely be freezing your buns off (unless it’s a super nice day).

Cheer. Jump. Stand. Take trips to the bathroom. Walk around at half time. Try to avoid sitting for long periods of time if you can. Play catch with the kids.

Avoid spending too much money at the concession stand. Those snacks can really add up in caloric intake. Even the hot cocoa (my fave) is extremely high in calories. Keep healthy snacks in your vehicle and offer healthier meals at the tailgate to keep yourself full.

I know, I know. I’m no fun. And most of the groups selling at concession stands is for a good cause. What’s a fan to do who’s trying to control calories and help out these amazing groups?

Moderation. I’m all about it. A popcorn and a hot cocoa every once in a while is not going to hurt you. Support the kids. Just stay active and enjoy your time at the game.

calorie burning activities

Weight Maintenance Formula

So, typically, you want to make sure you are eating less than the amount of calories you burn. Often times you have no idea. There are a couple of apps and trackers I use that give me a rough estimate of what I’m burning.

My Fitness Pal is an app that allows you to track calories in and out. You can keep your food journal there as well as record exercise. If you don’t know how many calories you burned completing an activity, you can either use your Fitbit or google it to find the answer via a scholarly web site.

And MapMyRun is an app that you can put onto your phone. While you work or hike, it will map out your course, let you know how far you’ve traveled and share it with your friends.

In fact, all of these apps are social. So, you can add your friends and share accomplishments. Cheer each other on. These apps are a lot of fun to connect with others.

So, add them and enjoy them. Enjoy those comfort foods this Fall while partaking in calorie burning activities. Because if you’re like me, you’re body will be telling you to eat more as cool temperatures creep in.

The Need To Eat in the Fall

As the weather gets cooler, I get hungrier. And not only for food in general. But for comfort foods. Like apple fritters. Onions rings. How about you?

And these yummy comfort foods can be found anywhere you go this time of year. Smell them and enjoy them. But do be careful of how much you eat. Overeating comfort foods can be dangerous for your healthy diet and your weight.

So, moderation is the key to keeping your diet in check. You can definitely eat comfort foods in moderation. There’s no shame in that. But, the key is to find calorie burning activities to do along with enjoying your comfort foods.

Burn Some Calories This Fall

In conclusion, I’ve given you 7 calorie burning activities to stay active with this Fall. As the weather gets cooler and you get hungrier for comfort, also remember to try to burn more calories than you eat.

Because that is the key formula to maintaining your weight. Moderation is always the key with weight maintenance.

So, please enjoy those Fall comfort foods, like apple fritters. Apples are in season right now so enjoy every bite. But then, get outside, so something active and burn those calories with one of these 7 calorie burning activities.

How do you control your weight during the cooler Fall months?

~ Much Love ~

signature

 

 


Katie Jenkins

Thursday 3rd of November 2016

Holy ca ca! I didn't realize I wrote a frickin novel! So sorry for yammering on that long.?

Katie Jenkins

Thursday 3rd of November 2016

Hi there, Mindy! This post has been chilling in an open windows on my phone for pretty much 2 weeks because I didn't want to forget to comment on it!

These are such terrific suggestions, Mindy.

Three quarter's of the time, the only way I can get my butt up to get the dreaded chores done (which usually have something to do with either cleaning, straightening up, laundry, or a combo of all 3) is to remind myself that I'll be killing 2 birds with one stone.

I will be burning burning some extra calories AND checking tasks off my to-do list!

I used to live in CO and would love going for hikes in the mountains around this time of year. It's crisp and cool and if the leaves are still holding on for dear life at that point, the colors are just spectacular!

Now I live in San Diego where fall really doesn't exist. It's always sunny and warm just like every other season. Whomp whomp...

I'll be sharing this post on all my SM networks. Oh, and stopping by via #BloggersPitStop from a couple weeks back!?

Imaobong Asuquo

Monday 24th of October 2016

My favorite ways of burning calories during any time of the year would be decluttering and organzing. It's like chores, but still exercise :-)

Taylor Smith

Monday 24th of October 2016

Those are GREAT suggestions!!!

Kathleen - Bloggers Lifestyle

Sunday 23rd of October 2016

Wonderful opportunities to burn up some calories. Kathleen Bloggers Pit Stop

Mindy Young @ Farm Fit Living

Sunday 23rd of October 2016

Thanks, Kathleen! There's always ways to figure out how to burn those calories in whatever activity your doing. As long as you're moving, you're burning. :)

Comments are closed.