Once the preserve of costumed children trick-or-treating, Halloween is now a community event, as much for adults as kids. The end-of-October celebrations are a fun way to prepare for the winter months, but the sweet treats may spell trouble for your waistline.
Once you're past the Fight Night sugar rush, the good news is you can start dropping the pounds by lacing up a set of the best cross training shoes and building up a sweat with a 25-minute Halloween cardio workout.
To some relief, getting into costume is optional but highly encouraged, especially if you're working out with friends or family. To add to the atmosphere, some of the exercises have been given alternative names, like Frankenstein Arms and Werewolf Hands.
Watch Fiit's 25-minute Halloween cardio workout
The short routine comes courtesy of Fiit, one of the best fitness apps, and is designed to get your heart racing, with no equipment required. In keeping with the season, the lighthearted video is led by fitness trainer Alex Crockford in Halloween-appropriate makeup. Fortunately, the effects aren't shocking or particularly realistic, which makes the video family-friendly and safe to watch around kids.
Crockford refers to Fitt points during the workout, which is the app's way of tracking your physical activity. If you don't already use the app, just be sure to work as hard as possible for the 30 seconds given to each move. This routine is a form of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), so you work hard for short periods with brief rest between moves.
The intense workout style increases your heart rate, which helps burn fat, even in the hours after your exercise, leading to effective weight loss. Research published in the Journal of Obesity even found that HIIT is better for dropping the pounds than low-intensity exercises like jogging or casual cycling. This makes it ideal for incorporating into your schedule.
This is why, despite the heavily reported downsides, sugar in moderation, like in Halloween candy, can sit alongside your fitness goals. The important thing is to keep a more general focus on how to eat healthily and aim for balance, not restriction. Now, time to get in some guilt-free trick-or-treating...
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