Womens Health, Fitness, Weight Loss, Beauty and More

4 Fun Ways to Fight Fat

Feel like a kid again — and burn serious calories — with these easy tips

The Monkey Bar Gymnasium, a Madison, WI, health club specializing in playground style routines that incorporate running, jumping, crawling, and climbing, proves you don’t need cardio machines to slim down. Of its members, 85% work out 3 times a week — triple the national average — and they drop an average of 17 pounds of fat in 2 months. Try these grownup versions of favorites from your youth.

1. IF YOU LOVED: HULA HOOPING

Try: HOOP DANCING

Slightly oversized fitness hoops are easier to keep aloft than a kid’s version as you twirl your way to a sculpted midsection.

Get started: Find hoops (about $30) and workout DVDs at hoopgirl.com.

Burn: 306 calories/hour*
2. IF YOU LOVED: CLIMBING TREES

Try: ROCK CLIMBING

Indoor walls challenge balance, strength, and coordination to keep your brain and body in top shape.

Get started: Search for local climbing centers at indoorclimbing.com, and take a class to learn the basics.

Burn: 528 calories/hour*
3. IF YOU LOVED: JUMPING ON A TRAMPOLINE

Try: REBOUNDING

Bouncing on a minitrampoline blasts fat without putting stress on joints.

Get started: Find classes or buy a home kit ($100 for trampoline and 3 DVDs) at urbanrebounding.com.

Burn: 567 calories/hour*
4. IF YOU LOVED: SCAVENGER HUNTS

Try: ORIENTEERING

Participants use a compass and map as they race to find a series of checkpoints scattered throughout the woods. Get started: Go to us.orienteering.org for clubs, events, and courses.

Burn: 612 calories/hour*

*Calorie burns based on a 150-pound person.