Have Fun, Lose Weight without Leaving Your Lawn

Whether you live in North Miami, Ft. Lauderdale or Hollywood, the Sunshine State’s beautiful summer weather is ideal for countless hours of fun in the sun. After your surgery for weight loss, head outside this summer and indulge in some good old fashioned lawn games to stay fit and burn off excess calories.

Engaging in some classic lawn games might not be the equivalent of strength training or running a marathon, but it definitely beats spending your warm summer nights in front of the television. Throw a garden party or invite a few of your friends over to socialize while having some competitive fun playing lawn games—the extra weight loss boost could be just the motivation you need to stay fit long term after your weight surgery.

Check out these lawn games and how many calories they can help you burn by just having fun!

Croquet - You don’t have to live in the Hamptons to engage in a classy game of lawn croquet—Florida’s coast will do just fine. If you’ve just finished recovering from your weight surgery, low intensity exercise such as playing croquet could be just the form of fitness you need. To play croquet, you simply use a mallet to hit a wooden ball on top of a lush lawn through a series of hoops. Though this activity seems easy enough, it’s still a great way to tone your muscles while not overdoing it too much.

Playing croquet for at least one hour can help you burn up to 170 calories.

Hacky Sack - Though this game may seem juvenile, it’s actually quite fun and an excellent way to elevate your heart rate. To play hacky sack one must have tight control, foot-eye coordination and leg power as you move your lower body to toss the sack with your feet to other players.

If you play hacky sack for as little as an hour you could burn up 254 calories.

Shuffleboard - I know what you’re thinking—this game should be strictly saved for senior citizens but don’t shy away just yet. Shuffleboard can really get your competitive juices flowing as you toss weighted discs across a sand-coated long, narrow court. Think of this game more so as a miniature version of the Olympic sport of Curling but instead of ice, you have sand.

Playing a little shuffleboard can help tone your arm muscles and burns up to 190 calories per hour.

Game of Chase – Your buddies may look at you weird if you ask them to play chase, but you’re children certainly won’t! If you’re having a get-together where children are permitted, have some old-school fun and spend some quality time with the kids playing chase. Kids have more energy than it seems imaginable but running around trying to keep up is surely a workout in the making.

Running around the lawn with your kids for an hour could help you burn approximately 254 calories.

If you’re not ready to start a vigorous workout regimen quite yet after your surgery for weight loss, these low to moderate intensity forms of exercise could be just right for you. Lawn games seem low-key enough but they can actually help you burn calories if you put in just a little effort. Plus, who wouldn’t want to have a little fun with family and friends if they could lose weight at the same time. However, make sure to speak with your weight loss doctor before engaging in physical activity too soon after your weight surgery.