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Nearly 70% of American adults are lugging around excess weight. Many men and women struggle to muster up enough motivation to exercise or eat healthy, and they often pass these unhealthy habits down to their children or loved ones. If you find it difficult to drag yourself to the gym or consume nutritious meals, consider finding a method that pays you to get - or stay - in shape. Here are four fun ways to lose weight while padding your bank account.
Dog Walking
Are you an animal lover who enjoys spending time outdoors? You can earn extra cash while shedding excess pounds as you walk local dogs. A 150-pound person typically burns an average of 204 calories per hour walking dogs, and that number can increase if you weigh more or have active dogs that race around the neighborhood.
People generally lose one pound for every 3,500 to 7,500 calories they burn. The exact formula for weight loss depends on several factors, including your metabolism and current weight. Based on this formula, you can potentially lose several pounds each month just by walking dogs for a couple hours per day. If you want to maximize the amount of calories you burn during dog-walking sessions, consider strapping weights to your ankles or arms. Talk to your doctor first to make sure that your body can safely support these weights.
Camp Counselor
Tired of doing the same things every summer? Liven up your vacation by becoming a camp counselor. You can work at an overnight camp or help run a local day camp. There are camps geared toward young kids, elementary school students, teens, and disabled adults. Some camps focus on a specific sport, such as horseback riding, while others offer a mix of activities to keep campers - and counselors - busy.
As a camp counselor, your primary role will probably be to keep kids safe. You may also have to prepare meals, clean up cabins or tents, create age-appropriate craft tutorials, and lead athletic activities. You can work on your figure as you swim, hike, or play tag with your campers. There’s generally very little downtime at a summer camp, so you’ll probably stay busy from morning to night.
Babysitter
Love the idea of working with kids, but not sure you can handle supervising an entire group of them at camp? Consider babysitting for local families instead. You can choose which babysitting jobs you accept, so it’s easy to only commit to gigs you feel comfortable doing.
If you babysit toddlers, you’ll burn plenty of calories chasing them around. Older kids may need you to plan fun games and activities before they’re willing to put down their iPads or smartphones. Here are some ways that you and the kids you babysit can get moving:
You can also ask the kids for suggestions. They may have some outdoor games they enjoy playing.
Athletic Coach for a Youth Team
Combine your passion for sports with your desire to lose weight when you coach a youth sports team. You’ll burn approximately the same amount of calories coaching a sports team as you might burn walking dogs. If you want to burn more calories, demonstrate athletic techniques whenever possible rather than just cheering your team from the sidelines.
Here are some potential sports you can coach:
When your team warms up during practice or prior to games, join them. It shows your team that you support them, and it also helps you tighten and tone your body.
Exercise doesn’t have to be boring. You can get in shape and earn some extra cash by applying for fun gigs like the ones listed above.
Jennifer Scott
Nearly 70% of American adults are lugging around excess weight. Many men and women struggle to muster up enough motivation to exercise or eat healthy, and they often pass these unhealthy habits down to their children or loved ones. If you find it difficult to drag yourself to the gym or consume nutritious meals, consider finding a method that pays you to get - or stay - in shape. Here are four fun ways to lose weight while padding your bank account.
Dog Walking
Are you an animal lover who enjoys spending time outdoors? You can earn extra cash while shedding excess pounds as you walk local dogs. A 150-pound person typically burns an average of 204 calories per hour walking dogs, and that number can increase if you weigh more or have active dogs that race around the neighborhood.
People generally lose one pound for every 3,500 to 7,500 calories they burn. The exact formula for weight loss depends on several factors, including your metabolism and current weight. Based on this formula, you can potentially lose several pounds each month just by walking dogs for a couple hours per day. If you want to maximize the amount of calories you burn during dog-walking sessions, consider strapping weights to your ankles or arms. Talk to your doctor first to make sure that your body can safely support these weights.
Camp Counselor
Tired of doing the same things every summer? Liven up your vacation by becoming a camp counselor. You can work at an overnight camp or help run a local day camp. There are camps geared toward young kids, elementary school students, teens, and disabled adults. Some camps focus on a specific sport, such as horseback riding, while others offer a mix of activities to keep campers - and counselors - busy.
As a camp counselor, your primary role will probably be to keep kids safe. You may also have to prepare meals, clean up cabins or tents, create age-appropriate craft tutorials, and lead athletic activities. You can work on your figure as you swim, hike, or play tag with your campers. There’s generally very little downtime at a summer camp, so you’ll probably stay busy from morning to night.
Babysitter
Love the idea of working with kids, but not sure you can handle supervising an entire group of them at camp? Consider babysitting for local families instead. You can choose which babysitting jobs you accept, so it’s easy to only commit to gigs you feel comfortable doing.
If you babysit toddlers, you’ll burn plenty of calories chasing them around. Older kids may need you to plan fun games and activities before they’re willing to put down their iPads or smartphones. Here are some ways that you and the kids you babysit can get moving:
- Visit a park or playground
- Run around the track at a local school if the school okays it
- Play tag, hide and seek, dodgeball, or Capture the Flag
- Spend the day at a waterpark
- Visit a kid-friendly museum or aquarium that requires lots of walking
- Embark on a scavenger hunt
You can also ask the kids for suggestions. They may have some outdoor games they enjoy playing.
Athletic Coach for a Youth Team
Combine your passion for sports with your desire to lose weight when you coach a youth sports team. You’ll burn approximately the same amount of calories coaching a sports team as you might burn walking dogs. If you want to burn more calories, demonstrate athletic techniques whenever possible rather than just cheering your team from the sidelines.
Here are some potential sports you can coach:
- Soccer
- Baseball
- Softball
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
When your team warms up during practice or prior to games, join them. It shows your team that you support them, and it also helps you tighten and tone your body.
Exercise doesn’t have to be boring. You can get in shape and earn some extra cash by applying for fun gigs like the ones listed above.
Jennifer Scott
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