If you're not quite an adventure sports junkie but still want an activity that's a little more thrilling than jogging, consider skateboarding. Skateboarding isn't the quickest way to burn calories to help you lose fat, but it can quickly spice up a workout regimen that otherwise might be a bit dull.
Burning Calories
Burning calories is the key factor in losing fat. When you burn more calories than you consume in any given stretch of time, you'll experience fat loss. You must burn 3,500 extra calories to lose 1 pound of fat, although doing so requires a multiday approach. MayoClinic.com suggests that losing 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week is attainable. If you exercise Monday through Friday, you'd need to burn 700 extra calories per day to create the deficit of 3,500 calories.
Skateboarding Calories Burned
Skateboarding provides literal highs and lows in your workout and can get your adrenaline pumping, but it doesn't help you burn calories at a rapid rate. Harvard Medical School notes that people who weigh 125, 155 and 185 pounds will burn just 150, 186 and 222 calories, respectively, during a 30-minute skateboarding session. Activities that burn calories at a comparable rate include softball and walking at 4.5 mph.
Skateboarding Considerations
Although your body constantly burns calories at a low rate, you burn more calories when you increase the intensity of any activity. If you're determined to lose fat through regular skateboarding sessions, adjust your method of boarding. When you're propelling yourself by vigorously pushing your foot against the ground, you're burning far more calories than when you're coasting or cruising downhill. While the latter might be tempting, you'll burn more calories during your skateboarding workout if you keep the intensity elevated.
Other Exercises
It might be challenging to lose a significant amount of fat by skateboarding alone, but when you add a few aerobic exercises to your workout routine, your fitness goals will seem easier to meet. A wide range of aerobic exercises burn calories at an accelerated rate, but such activities as running and cycling are effective. A 155-pound person will burn 372 calories during a 30-minute run at 6 mph and 446 calories during a 30-minute bike ride while maintaining a pace between 16 and 19 mph.
