Weekend Workouts - Just in time for summer!

By Jessie Knadler

5 fun and adventurous ways to blast calories and burn fat

Maybe it's the sweat factor, but some women assume that a summertime stroll qualifies as a workout. No question, walking is a fitness fundamental, especially during the workweek. But why not try more invigorating and challenging outdoor activities on the weekend? Recreational pursuits such as biking, hiking, and inline skating allow you to reap up to six times more fat-blasting, body-shaping benefits than cruising around the neighborhood on foot. And you don't have to be a hard-core athlete or fitness freak to get the most out of the five we're suggesting. Top off your normal weekday exercise routine with one of these exhilarating weekend activities, and you'll be firmer and fitter by Labor Day.

WEEKEND 1 - KAYAKING

Calories Burned: 340 per hour

Body Benefits: A sculpted upper body. "Pulling the paddle against the water is great resistance," says 29-year-old Michelle Christensen of Baltimore, who spends summer weekends kayaking around the Chesapeake Bay. "You target your shoulders, triceps, biceps, back, and core."

Weekend Benefits: It's like meditating on water, says Rhett Pruitt, a 34-year-old raft guide and recreational kayaker in Long Creek, SC. She opts for tranquil sea kayaking over exhilarating white water when she's craving peace and quiet. "Sea kayaking is not intimidating," she says. "You're just inches above the water--the perfect vantage point for taking in the abundant wildlife and sea life that you would never see otherwise."

Word to the Wise: Beginners should use an open kayak--or take a lesson to learn how to escape the kayak first.  

Your Destination: For breathtaking scenery, consider a trip to Acadia National Park in Maine. To find local instructors, go to kayakonline.com. 

WEEKEND 2 - HIKING

Calories Burned: Up to 400 per hour

Body Benefits: Improved cardiovascular fitness. "There's a lot of lung cancer in my family," says 49-year-old hiker Lynn Anderson, from Helena, MT. "It's always been a priority to keep my lungs in tip-top shape." Plus, hiking will give you stronger, leaner thighs and firm your rear to boot.

Weekend Benefits: You get to unplug from society. Hiker Lori Pfankuch, 47, who traverses Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana, says: "Hiking takes you out of your world so you can reflect. I've seen mountain goats; I eat huckleberries on the trail, and last summer I saw my first grizzly bear."

Word to the Wise: Invest in a good pair of boots or trail runners and be sure to break them in by wearing them on errands before you hike. 

Your Destination: Head to Gallatin National Forest in Montana or the Grand Canyon's South Rim in Arizona. For hiking clubs near you, check out the American Hiking Society (americanhiking.org).