Laser tag is an exciting, fast-paced game that will definitely make you work up a sweat, but you might be wondering whether it’s any good for exercising.
It’s fun, safe, painless, and a great way to get kids off of their screens—a game with this many benefits can’t get any better, can it? Spoiler alert: it can!
If you’re wondering about the health benefits that come with laser tag, we’ve got you covered. Read on for an in-depth insight on whether playing laser tag is good exercise, how many calories it burns, information about some other calorie-burning exercises, and more!
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How Many Calories Does Playing Laser Tag Burn?
Laser tag involves a lot of movement, whether you’re running from an opponent, ducking under enemy fire, or jumping over an obstacle. It’s no surprise that laser tag is a great choice for those that want to have fun and burn calories at the same time.
Playing laser tag burns around 125–200 calories per 15 minute round, depending on your body weight and activity level. That means an hour of laser tag works out to around 500–800 calories burned.
According to this chart that lists how many calories playing a sport will burn in an hour, playing laser tag is on par with mountain biking (695 calories per hour), playing competitive basketball (654 calories per hour), and playing soccer (572 calories per hour).
Is Laser Tag Cardio?
Now that you know playing laser tag is great for burning calories, you might be wondering if you can use it as part of your cardio workout. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered for that too:
What Counts as Cardio?
Cardio, or cardiovascular exercise, is an exercise that engages your cardiovascular system. In simple terms, cardio involves exercises that will raise your heart rate enough to burn fat and calories.
This is different from other types of training in that cardio depends on your body’s ability to use oxygen while working out. While strength training focuses on making muscles stronger, cardio is used to get your heart rate up and get your blood pumping.
According to Openfit, cardiovascular exercise is basically anything that will raise your heart and breathing rates. That means things like running, cycling, swimming, and even shoveling snow can count as cardio exercises.
So Does Laser Tag Count as Cardio?
When you think of laser tags, you’ll probably think of laser guns, vests, and running—lots of running. That means laser tag definitely counts as cardio. In fact, running is regarded as one of the best cardio exercises out there!
If you’ve already played laser tag, you know that you’ll be breathing hard and sweating buckets before the first round even finishes. As long as you try to keep up with the fast pace of the game, then laser tag is a great cardio exercise that will have you breathing hard, burning fat, and having fun!
What is Cardio Good For?
Cardiovascular exercise has loads of benefits, including:
Great for Weight Loss
Cardio exercises are great for those trying to get a little slimmer and burn some fat. As cardio exercises increase your heart rate, they also get you to burn calories—sometimes hundreds of them per session.
You might need to make some additional lifestyle changes such as altering your diet, but regular cardio exercises are instrumental in burning fat and slimming down.
Makes Your Heart Stronger
As Openfit states, cardiovascular exercises focus on your cardiovascular system, which is basically the whole network of veins and arteries that oxygenates blood and moves it throughout your body.
Fitting regular cardio exercises into your schedule will help strengthen your heart, which will not only improve your performance when exercising, but also reduce the risk of you contracting any heart diseases in the future.
Cardiovascular exercises are also a proven way to improve your blood pressure, which can be beneficial to those with high blood pressure or related ailments.
Releases Endorphins
After you exercise, your brain releases endorphins, which are a type of hormone that provide many benefits to your body.
According to Top Fitness, one of the benefits of endorphins is that they’ll give you a natural energy boost. People might start off their day with an energy drink or a coffee, but overdoing those boosts can be bad for your body and you might not be able to function without them.
Endorphins, on the other hand, increase your energy levels naturally and won’t have any adverse side effects.
Another benefit of endorphins is that they are a kind of “feel-good” hormone. Not only do they boost your energy, but they also boost your mood too.
Cardio exercises are a natural and healthy way to combat issues like stress, anxiety, and depression, and they can do wonders for your mental health. Aside from the mood boost, you’ll get from the endorphins, you’ll also feel a sense of accomplishment as you finish a tough workout or conquer a set of rigorous exercises.
Improves Sleep Quality
Getting an energy boost throughout the day by doing some cardio exercises is great, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wake up feeling energized.
By fitting in some exercise in the daytime, you’ll eventually be tuckered out and looking forward to slipping between the sheets by nightfall. This will help you fall asleep faster, sleep for longer durations, and get better sleep.
Starting out the day tired might mean you’ll be a grumpy, sleepy mess, but cardiovascular exercises can help you wake up feeling ready to take on the day!
Boosts Your Immune System
Getting sick is a nuisance and can take time out of schedule for doing things you enjoy. However, doing cardio can prevent this by making your body better at fighting illnesses.
By doing cardio exercises regularly, you’ll be improving your blood flow, strengthening your white blood cells and antibodies, and helping them move through your body faster. This means your body’s immune system will be able to find potential illnesses and start fighting them sooner.
However, the benefits of cardio exercises don’t just stop at helping your body find illnesses faster.
This study states that doing moderate cardio exercises for 45 minutes daily can also decrease the likelihood of older adults getting sick, how long they get sick for, and how severe the sickness is.
To be exact, the likelihood of the participants in the study getting sick reduced by 29%, the duration of colds and flu decreased by 43%, and the severity of any illnesses was reduced by 31%.
An apple a day? More like doing cardio exercises every day keeps the doctor away!
Is Playing Laser Tag Good Exercise?
Playing laser tag gets you moving and is great for burning fat and calories. And did we mention how fun it is? Playing laser tag is great exercise, and the more often you play, the more beneficial it will be for you.
What Exercises Burn the Most Calories?
Now that you’re in the mood for doing some cardio exercises, you might be wondering what other exercises you can do besides playing laser tag. We’ve got you covered—here are some of the exercises that burn the most calories on average:
Running
Running is regarded as one of the most effective cardio exercises, and for good reason. The number of calories you burn will depend on your speed, weight, and fitness level.
Cycling
Since running is a great cardio exercise, it’s no surprise that cycling, which uses much of the same movements as running, is also on the list. Again, the amount of calories you burn varies from person to person, but one thing is certain—the faster you go, the more calories you’ll burn.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent cardio exercise that uses your arms and legs while also engaging your core. The number of calories you burn while swimming depends on your swimming form and speed. The more movement the form requires, the more calories you’ll burn.
| Exercise | Calories Burned Per Hour |
| Running at 9 mph | 1220 |
| Running at 8 mph | 1100 |
| Running at 7 mph | 940 |
| Running at 6 mph | 820 |
| Cycling at 16–19 mph | 1000 |
| Cycling at 14–15.9 mph | 820 |
| Cycling at 12–13.9 mph | 650 |
| Cycling at 10–11.9 mph | 500 |
| Swimming using butterfly form | 900 |
| Swimming quickly using freestyle form | 820 |
| Swimming using sidestroke form | 650 |
| Swimming using backstroke form | 570 |
Conclusion
Getting regular exercise is beneficial for your mind and body, but you might be having trouble finding an exercise that is fast-paced, fun, and competitive. In that case, look no further!
Laser tag is the perfect sport for getting in some cardio and includes lots of running, jumping, ducking, and crouching. It’s a game that can be played at home or at an arena, and the simple rules of the game mean players of almost any age can play it.
If you want to enjoy yourself while exercising, then laser tag is the game for you!