Hidden Workouts: Burn Calories With Everyday Activities
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You don't have to join a gym to burn calories. Great workouts are all around you — in your home, at your desk or just outside your front door. And while everyday activities might not seem like much, over the course of a day, the number of calories you burn can really add up. Check out these "chores" to see how you can burn up to 150 calories as you go about your everyday business.
1. Gardening
Pulling weeds, digging holes, spreading mulch or grass seed — all these activities burn a significant number of calories. In just 15 minutes, you could burn as many as 75 to 100 calories while enjoying the fresh air — and crossing off one of your chores at the same time.
2. Housework
Don't think of it as more chores; see it as a chance to stay fit. Vacuuming burns plenty of calories, but add in mopping the floors, dusting and changing the sheets, and you can burn up to 50 calories in just 15 minutes!
3. Mowing
Why pay someone to cut the grass when you can do it yourself? Add as much as $30 to your weekly budget and trim your figure as you trim your lawn. Stay off that riding mower and burn 50 to 100 calories.
4. Climbing stairs
Do a load of laundry, take it upstairs. Come back down, pick up the bedroom linens, head back up — you get the idea. The more weight you carry up, the more calories you burn — as many as 100 calories in 15 minutes.
5. Shopping If you're heading to the mall, add an indoor lap before you do your shopping and after you've found what you're looking for. And forget that close spot — park in the distance to add steps to your tally.
6. Make your desk work count
Don't just sit at your desk — get active! Try leg lifts under your desk or hold your tummy in for a count of 10, firming muscles with isometrics. Press your palms flat down on your desk and release to strengthen your biceps.
(As with every exercise program, be sure to check with your doctor before starting any new activity.)
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