At first glance, laser tag may seem like a fun game to play with friends. However, laser tag offers numerous fitness benefits, making it a fantastic way to get a full-body workout while enjoying an exciting and fast-paced game.
In this article, we will explore laser tag's physical health benefits, including the number of calories burned and the muscles worked.
Benefits of Laser Tag as a Fitness Routine
Laser tag offers a variety of benefits, including cardiovascular health, providing a great full-body workout, improving mental health, and broadening your social life. Let's talk a bit more about each.
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Cardiovascular workout: Laser tag involves short explosive sprints and quick movements that raise your heart rate. It is an intense cardio workout that can help you burn calories quickly. This high-intensity cardio workout is great for your heart.
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Full body workout: Laser tag requires using your entire body, making it a thorough workout that engages the same muscles as conventional strength training exercises.
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Improves mental health: Laser tag can positively impact your overall mood and can even aid in curing mental health issues.
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Social life: Laser tag provides a fun and social workout experience to help you stay motivated to exercise regularly. This will have a positive impact on your social life.
Calories Burned During Laser Tag
So it's no surprise you can burn calories while playing laser tag. But just how many calories do we burn? The amount of calories burned during a game of laser tag depends on various factors such as age, weight, and intensity of the game.
The average person will burn 200-400 calories per hour playing laser tag. This range depends on various factors, including age, weight, height, and the intensity of the gameplay.
Factors Affecting Calories Burned
Age, weight, and intensity level are all factors that can affect the number of calories burned during laser tag. Younger players and those who weigh more will generally burn more calories due to their higher metabolic rates. Additionally, the game's intensity can also impact the number of calories burned.
Average Calories Burned During a Laser Tag Game
On average, a game of laser tag can be an intense workout and help you burn between 200 to 400 calories per hour. This range can vary depending on the factors mentioned above. For instance, a player who weighs more and is engaged in a high-intensity game can burn up to 500 calories per hour.
Comparison of Laser Tag Calories Burned to Other Activities
Compared to other activities, laser tag can be an excellent way to burn calories while having fun. For instance, an hour of moderate-intensity cycling can burn between 300 to 500 calories. An hour of jogging can burn between 400 to 600 calories. However, not everyone may enjoy cycling or jogging as much as playing laser tag. Therefore, laser tag can be a perfect solution for those who want to burn calories while enjoying themselves.
In conclusion, laser tag can be a great way to burn calories while having fun. The number of calories burned can vary based on individual factors and the game's intensity. Compared to other activities, laser tag can be a fantastic way to get a good workout, particularly for those who do not enjoy conventional exercises like jogging or cycling.
Comparison of Calories Burned: Male vs. Female
Men burn more calories than women during laser tag on average because men typically have more muscle mass and higher metabolic rates. However, the difference in calories burned between men and women is insignificant.
Comparison of Calories Burned: A Person's Weight
The number of calories burned during laser tag increases with body weight. A person weighing 100 lbs can expect to burn around 200-300 calories in an hour of laser tag, while a person weighing 250 lbs can burn up to 600-700 calories.
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100 lbs: 200-300 calories per hour
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150 lbs: 300-400 calories per hour
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180 lbs: 400-500 calories per hour
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210 lbs: 500-600 calories per hour
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250 lbs: 600-700 calories per hour
Comparison of Calories Burned: Age
The number of calories burned during laser tag can also vary based on age, as younger individuals tend to have a higher metabolic rate and burn more calories. However, this difference is insignificant.
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10 year old: 200-300 calories per hour
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15 year old: 250-350 calories per hour
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20 year old: 300-400 calories per hour
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30 year old: 300-400 calories per hour
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40 year old: 250-350 calories per hour
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50 year old: 200-300 calories per hour
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65 year old: 150-250 calories per hour
Note that these numbers are only estimates and can vary depending on other factors, such as the intensity level of the game and individual differences in metabolism. However, this breakdown gives a general idea of the number of calories burned during laser tag based on gender, weight, and age groups.
Muscles Worked During Laser Tag
Laser tag offers a full-body workout. Let's talk about the muscles worked during laser tag and the benefits of this physical activity.
Upper Body Muscles Worked
Laser tag requires players to hold and aim a laser tag gun, which engages the muscles in the upper body. Specifically, the arms, shoulders, and chest muscles are used to hold the gun and aim at opponents. The repetitive motion of lifting and aiming the weapon can improve muscle endurance in these areas.
Lower Body Muscles Worked
Laser tag involves a lot of running and quick movements, which engage the muscles in the lower body. The leg muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, are used for running, jumping, and crouching. These movements can help improve lower body strength and endurance.
Core Muscles Worked
The core muscles, including the abs and back muscles, are engaged during laser tag as players twist and turn to dodge opponents and avoid getting hit by laser beams. This constant movement and twisting can help improve core stability and balance.
Laser tag is a great way to improve overall fitness and engage all major muscle groups.
12 Tips for Maximizing Your Laser Tag Workout
Here are a few tips to help you maximize your laser tag workout.
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Move continuously: Laser tag involves many running and quick movements, so keep moving continuously to maximize your cardiovascular workout.
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Engage your core: Twist and turn to dodge opponents and avoid getting hit by laser beams, engaging your core muscles to improve core stability and balance.
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Use proper form: Hold and aim the laser tag gun with proper form to engage the muscles in your upper body, specifically the arms, shoulders, and chest muscles.
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Use short explosive sprints: Use short, explosive sprints to move quickly and engage your leg muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
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Take cover: Crouch and use cover to avoid getting hit by opponents' laser beams, engaging your leg muscles and improving lower body strength and endurance.
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Play with a few friends: Playing with a few friends can help increase the game's intensity, providing a more thorough workout.
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Develop a laser tag strategy: Developing a strategy can help improve cognitive function and mental agility and help you move more strategically during the game.
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Keep your heart rate up: Laser tag can provide a significant cardiovascular workout, so keep your heart rate up throughout the game.
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Stay hydrated: Drinking water before, during, and after the game can help keep you hydrated and improve your performance during the game.
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Incorporate strength training: Incorporating strength training exercises, such as push-ups and squats, during breaks in the game can help improve muscle strength and endurance.
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Wear the right clothes and shoes: Laser tag involves a lot of movement, so it's essential to wear comfortable clothes and shoes that allow easy mobility. Learn more about what clothes to wear while playing laser tag.
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Proper warm-up and cool-down exercises: It's necessary to warm up your muscles before playing and cool down afterward to prevent injury and reduce muscle soreness.
Conclusion
Overall, laser tag offers a great way to get a high-intensity full-body workout that can help you burn calories, improve your muscle strength, and positively impact your mental health.
With its fun and social nature, laser tag is the perfect excuse to get out and get some physical activity while enjoying time with friends.
So, the next time you're looking for a workout different from your regular exercises, consider coming down to Maziply Toys for a few rounds of laser tag.