Calories Burned at a Baseball Batting Cage
Anyone preparing for the baseball or softball season, or those just looking to try out a new workout can swing off some calories at the batting cages 1. The number of calories you burn will depend upon how vigorously you swing and your personal body composition. When you need to push yourself further, there are a few tricks to up the calorie burn.
Hitting the Ball
Swinging a bat works the core, arms and shoulders while helping you shed calories for weight loss 1. A 150-pound adult can burn between 200 and 300 calories an hour hitting the ball. A 50-pound youth will burn about 100 calories an hour.
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Of course, at the batting cages you’re not throwing the ball or running bases 4. Sprint around the complex like you’re running bases to get that full game feel of high-intensity running intervals. To give you an idea of what you can burn sprinting around the complex: 15 minutes at 7 mph will burn about 60 calories for a 50-pound youth and 180 calories for a 150-pound adult 1. If there’s no room to run, do jumping jacks or burpees instead.
Add Weight to Burn More
Heavier bodies burn more calories, and adding some weight can help intensify your workout. Consider wrist weights or a heavier bat. Using a heavier bat can also help athletes identify swing form issues, such as dropping the back shoulder. Adding just 5 pounds burns an extra 10 calories per hour for a 150-pound adult 1.
- Heavier bodies burn more calories, and adding some weight can help intensify your workout.
- Using a heavier bat can also help athletes identify swing form issues, such as dropping the back shoulder.
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References
- Baseball: What Are the Health Benefits of Baseball?
- The Hitting Project: Heavy Baseball Bat Training
- Calorie Burners: Activities that turn up the heat. American Council on Exercise
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Writer Bio
Joanna Polisena has been writing professionally since obtaining a high school mentorship at her hometown's city newspaper. Her work has appeared in daily newspapers, an employment agency's monthly newsletter and various corporate multimedia productions. She earned an AA in letters, arts and sciences from Pennsylvania State University.