Cues For A Cure™

This article is an excerpt from LiveStrong.com - Lance Armstrong Foundation

Trendy gyms don't have classes that simulate playing pool, but playing the game will still burn more calories than sitting still. Just be careful that the fried bar food and beers don't cancel out any health benefits.

While the only aspect of pool that may significantly increase your heart rate is exceptionally tough competition, the game does involve constant movement around the table to assess plays and take shots. In addition, you have to bend and stretch frequently, loosening up muscles you might not normally use.

The "Harvard Health Letter" has reported that for a 155 lb. person, playing pool burns 93 calories in half an hour. That's more than double the amount burned by sitting and reading. Lighter weight people burn fewer calories, while heavier people burn more. A calculator at ProHealth lets you input your weight and the time spent at billiards to customize your number.

Amp It Up

If you're not content with what a regular game of pool does for you, you can always try speed pool. This is a competitive game that can be classified as a cardio workout, and videos are available.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/300313-how-many-calories-are-burned-playing-pool/#ixzz1A79g52nN

About this Author

Denise Kelly is the copy editor for a small publisher in Paris, France. Before that she was a copy editor at daily newspapers, starting in graduate school. She has been writing professionally since 1996. She has a Master of Science in journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in political science.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/300313-how-many-calories-are-burned-playing-pool/#ixzz1A7AG2NZ1