The highly anticipated upcoming holiday meal can, for some people, pack up to 4,000 calories — about twice what most people need in an entire day. However, some serious calorie burning can help you to enjoy the indulgences.
To undo a 250-calorie serving of mashed potatoes you’ll need to hop on a treadmill for an hour of power walking. (A 150-pound person walking for one hour at 4 mph would burn about 272 calories.) Tilt the treadmill uphill at a 5 percent incline and you’ll double the calorie burn.
Here are other suggestions of winter activities that can help burn holiday meal calories (based on 30 minutes of activity for a 150-pound person):
Snowshoeing: 300 calories
Skating moderately: 230 calories
Cross-country skiing: 300 calories
Downhill skiing: 210 calories
Snowboarding: 250 calories
Walking the dog, moderate pace: 125 calories
Shoveling snow: 230 calories
Source: Fit Tips by Life Fitness, exercise equipment manufacturer.
— Anne Aurand, The Bulletin