Best Summer Workouts

Best Summer Workouts

By Liz Neporent
The Cookout Workout

Summer is the time for picnics, barbecues and trips to the ice cream shack. It's also a great time of year to get out and get active. Strike the best balance between calories in and calories out with these tips on the perfect food and fitness pairings from the personal trainers at the New York Health and Racquet Club.

Walk Off the Stalk

Whether you eat your corn by spinning it in a circle or by munching across in rows, it'll take you 15 minutes to walk off the 60 calories in one cob. If you smear it with butter, add another 25 minutes of brisk walking to burn off the 100 extra calories.

Roll Reversal

For those times you can't seem to lay off the bread, quit your loafing and get on your bike. You'll off set an 80 calorie hot dog roll with about 20 minutes of moderately intense cycling. Cycle another 30 to burn off the frank and toppings.

Brownies Rock

Scaling new heights is a great way to keep the numbers on the scale from going up. Rock climbing incinerates 250 calories in just 20 minutes, enough to burn off a good sized brownie.

Shake a Leg

Plan on 35 minutes of moderately paced running roadwork to burn off one piece of extra crispy, white meat fried chicken (270 calories). Throw in some sprint intervals or run over a hilly course and it'll only take you 25 minutes.

Paddle Away Pounds

Propelling yourself across the water in a kayak is one of the most effective ways to strengthen and tone your upper body and flatten your abs. Twenty minutes of sea or river kayaking uses up about 100 calories, enough to cancel out a large slice of juicy watermelon.

Mind Your Tennis Quarts

Be careful how much lemonade you guzzle during a tennis match. Each 8 ounce serving nets 110 calories - - about 12 minutes worth of hard play. Switching to a low or no sugar version will save you more than 100 calories per glass.

Sand Blast Calories

Dig, scoop, lip -- are we talking ice cream or beach volleyball? Actually both. It takes 45 minutes of digging, scooping and lipping (all terms used for hitting the volleyball over the net) to burn off just one 300-calorie cone of rocky road or cookies n' cream.

Skate Yourself Slim

Burn off the 280 calories found in a typical burger-and-the-works by rollerblading or inline skating for 25 minutes. Keep your waistline in line by upping your skate time by 10 minutes per slice of cheese.