Celebrity Chef Kai Chase's-Fun, Fab-Summer Fitness Tips!

Summer fun can keep you motivated and on track with exercise, so if the Great Outdoors (beach! mountains! parks! backyards!) is looking way better than that basement treadmill or the stinky weight room at the gym, ditch the same old routine.

Obey your instincts and head outside for some fun physical activity that doesn't remotely feel like exercise but has the same benefits. Fun stuff can boost fitness and burn as many or even more calories than your usual workout routine.  As a celebrity chef these are a few I live and swear by:


•Hula-Hooping. Spinning a Hula-Hoop burns 210 calories in 30 minutes and boosts your heart rate as much as a brisk walk. Hula-hooping has given me those sexy curves and keeps my belly flat, so when I'm rockin' my hip-hugger "Built By Wendy" jeans, I look incredibly sexy!  Get a Hula-Hoop for yourself, your loved one, yours kids and "hoop it up" together!

•Toss a Frisbee. This classic summer toy can help you burn 109 to 252 calories in half an hour. This is a game I use to play at the beach, in the park and in the backyard of my home.  Leaping, jumping, stretching and running to catch a frisbee will definitely shape your arms and tone your legs.  

•Dance the summer away. Join the fun when they play Dance Dance Revolution? Hit the dance floor at your bestfriend's  wedding. Accept your neighbor's invite to Zumba or Jazzercise class. Dancing regularly burns lots of calories (shakin' a sexy samba burns 10 per minute) while boosting fitness health.

•Walk in water. Love to hang out at the pool but hate getting your hair wet? Skip the laps and get in some water walking. Water supports your weight but adds up to 12 times more resistance than air, so you'll get a great workout.  A little warm-water exercise feels good especially when the sun is beaming down on you.

•Hit the beach. Dial up your favorite beach tune on your iPod, slap on plenty of sunscreen, and go coastal. Walking on soft sand can burn 20% to 50% more calories than walking on a hard surface, thanks to the extra effort it takes (the softer the sand, the harder you'll work). Ready for more fun? Look for a beach volleyball game. Despite what you see on TV, you don't need a bikini (shorts and a T-shirt are fine), but if you get hooked and start playing regularly, you might be bikini-ready soon. A 30-minute beach volleyball game burns up to 355 calories.