With Halloween approaching, candy is top of mind — and hard to resist. We did a little digging and found that, according to a 2016 poll, peanut butter cups are America’s favorite candy. And it turns out our MyFitnessPal community might agree. On Halloween alone, total peanut butter cup calories consumed in the U.S. last year hit 6,830,097 — put another way, that’s 5.4 calories per active user on Halloween versus 1.8 calories per active user on an unrelated Monday.
We get it, if you’re going to eat candy, Halloween is the day to do it so long as you get right back on track the next day. Plus, when you think about it, one peanut butter cup has 87 calories — an amount that’s surprisingly easy to burn off.
“On Halloween alone, total peanut butter cup calories consumed by MyFitnessPal users in the U.S. last year hit 6,830,097.”
We’ve put together a list of six fun fall-inspired activities that burn off 100 calories in 15 minutes.
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HIT THE TRAIL
Hitting the trail for a moderately strenuous hike can burn off a peanut butter cup (plus a few bonus calories) in just 15 minutes. With all the gorgeous fall foliage to take in, chances are you won’t even notice the workout. Add a backpack to your trek, and you’ll burn an additional 80 calories per hour.
GO TRICK-OR-TREATING
Turn trick-or-treating into a power-walking session. You can sell it to your kids by reminding them they can hit more houses that way — and you can burn those Halloween treats off as you snag them. Walking at a pace of about 4.5 mph for 15 minutes burns 100 calories.
DO YARD WORK
Raking leaves, cleaning the gutters and other fall yard work is inevitable. If you need a little extra motivation to check those chores off your list, know that they can be surprisingly good calorie burners. While raking, throw in some walking lunges and squats to boost your heart rate and burn off a few extra calories.
GO FOR A JOG
Before winter weather makes outdoor runs a distant dream, enjoy the crisp cool air and fall foliage while burning off the equivalent of a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Just 15 minutes of jogging (at a pace of less than 5 mph) burns more than 100 calories. Pick up the pace for a solid 6 or 7 mph, and you’ll burn off the whole pack.
PLAY PICKUP GAMES
Get into the spirit of football season with a good old-fashioned game of touch football. A high-energy game can burn major calories (and help you hone your skills for a Thanksgiving match) — just 15 minutes of playtime burns about 150 calories.
GO FOR A RIDE
Fall is also a great time for cyclists. To take advantage of the best fall foliage, grab your bike and hit the trails — mountain biking for just 10 minutes or riding through your neighborhood at a moderate pace (8–10 mph) for 15 minutes also does the trick.
*Calorie burn based on 150-pound woman
