Here’s a little secret about getting and staying fit: Instead of having physical activity be an interruption to life, make it a way of life. When approached this way, it suddenly becomes simple to get in shape and lose weight. Hey, you’ve already burned 2 calories reading this! Here are 12 other easy ways to burn lots more.
Dress casually. A study shows that people take nearly 500 more steps on days they wear jeans to work.
Fidget. The nervous burn up to 350 more calories per day than those who don’t twiddle their thumbs or tap their toes.
Sit on a ball. Swap out your desk chair for one of those big exercise balls (at least at home). Balancing on it while you check e-mail or pay bills will help stabilize your core and burn more fat.
Listen to music. Researchers tell us that listening to energetic music will help us do just about everything more energetically.
Cut the grass. Instead of paying a service or the neighbor kid, do it yourself. Pushing a power mower trims off 100 calories every 23 minutes. Don’t have a lawn? Come on over and cut ours!
Baby your muscles. Forget the toys. Hold your little tyke while doing squats, put him on your chest for crunches, or drop him in a backpack and go for a walk. Bingo, you entertain and exercise at the same time.
Play more video games. Instead of telling the kids to turn them off, join in. Playing Nintendo GameCube’s Mario Kart for 41 minutes, grooving to Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix for 24, or playing Wii Tennis for 13 burns 300 calories.
Imagine you’re exercising. Studies have shown that just thinking about doing a particular exercise like a biceps curl can make nearly a third of the fibers in that arm contract. Imagine that!
Brush on one foot. To build balance, do the yoga “tree” pose while brushing your teeth or doing the dishes. Simply put the sole of one foot against the inside of the other leg below the knee. As you get better, slide it up to the inside of the thigh.
Walk more errands. Instead of driving to the post office or store that’s right down the street, get into the habit of walking or biking there.
Stand up. Rather than sitting on a bench while the kids play at the park or practice a sport, walk around the playground or field for 15 minutes to burn 50 calories. During your daughter’s hour-long dance class, simply stand instead of sitting and burn 120 calories.
Lower the hatch. If you have a minivan with one of those automatic rear hatches, don’t hit the button. Instead, reach up and slam that sucker shut manually. It not only stretches muscles but also busts stress.
Finally, if you’re worried about keeping your cool through all this, try Secret Clinical Strength. It offers prescription strength wetness protection without a prescription. Now that’s no sweat!
Decadent (yet smart!) desserts
