Love Halloween but don’t want to be shaped like a pumpkin? Maybe you don’t want to go as the Marshmallow Man again and are trying to fit into that skin-tight costume. No matter your Halloween fitness goals, it is a scary time for many exercisers everywhere due to the massive amounts of candy lurking around every corner. The average candy bar averages around 160 calories which takes about 12 minutes of intense running to burn off. We’re definitely not advocating avoiding all candy because that would take the spirit and fun out of Halloween. Instead we’ve compiled fun fitness tips that keep in the spirit of Halloween.
Chomp on some pumpkin
While pumpkin spice lattes are loaded with calories and sugar, pumpkin in its natural fruit form is actually quite nutritious and loaded with health benefits. Pumpkins are very low in calories with 100 g of pumpkin only having 26 calories. This makes it a great choice of sides if you’re trying to control your calorie intake. They are a fiber rich food which helps you feel full for longer on fewer calories. They also contain no saturated fats or cholesterol.
Pumpkins are also rich in a variety of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. They are especially rich in Vitamin A which is vital in maintaining healthy skin and vision. You can also add pumpkin to your post-workout snack because of their high potassium content. Next time you’re shopping for pumpkins to carve, grab a couple of extra to add to your diet.
Watch horror movies (and lose weight?)
This may sound a bit ridiculous, but horror movies can actually help you burn calories. While it is not nearly as effective as actually getting on a treadmill and real exercise, if you’re going to take a break and indulge in a film, make it a scary one if you want to shed a few calories. According to researchers at the University of Westminster, watching 90 minutes of a horror film can burn approximately 113 calories, which is almost a small candy bar. The explanation behind this is that the adrenaline rush caused by the movie lowered appetite and burned calories. The increase in heart-rate also contributed to more calories being burned.
Go on Halloween sightseeing strolls
Some people take holidays very seriously and house decorations are a treat for everyone. It is difficult to truly appreciate some of the elaborate Halloween decorations when you’re zooming through neighborhoods in your car. As October 31st looms, you can take a casual jog around festive blocks and enjoy the spooky decorations while getting a workout in too. This can also double as a scouting run because houses which are well decorated usually give out the highest quality candy. Take note of these houses for your actual trick-or-treating run to increase your full-size candy bar haul. For added fun, you can bring your child along and do practice trick-or-treating routes.
Eat before trick or treating
Not only will eating before you trick or treat give you that extra energy to knock on more doors, it will also stave off the urge to munch on your recently acquired candy. When people are hungry they tend to go for unhealthier options, which is easily accessible when you have a bag full of sweets in front of you.
Keep track of your sweets
Organizing and taking inventory of your Halloween candy is a fun way to see how much you and your family really hauled in. To turn this into a healthy tip, by itemizing your sweets, you can truly track how much you’ve eaten and avoid a binge.
We hope these tips help you find fun ways to stay fit or get in shape during the Halloween season. We hope you get creeped out by spooky costumes and scary movies instead of the scale this year!
