When I think of active people, I imagine bodybuilders and yoga addicts who spend their entire life in lululemon workout gear and obsess over protein supplements. But just because you might not be a gym rat, doesn’t excuse you from living an active lifestyle. Make a few tweaks and you’ve gone from sedentary to burning an extra few thousand calories a day. Try these quick tips to get yourself into a fit lifestyle without ever setting foot in the gym!
Take the Stairs
Women: 97 calories
Men: 115 calories
In Just Go With It Jennifer Aniston reveals her incredible bikini body and credits her toned muscles to “always taking the stairs.” While achieving Jennifer’s perfectly sculpted bod might require a little more work (the movie later reveals she’s a devoted spinner), hiking the stairs for 10 minutes per day burns around 100 extra calories.
Walk or Ride Your Bike to Work
Women: 240 for 1 hour walking and 509 for 1 hour biking
Men: 285 for 1 hour walking and 605 for 1 hour biking
Unless you live in a major city, chances are you’re dependent on your car for transportation. If you’re lucky enough to live close enough, try walking or riding your bike to work or to some of your errands. It won’t feel like a workout since you’re going somewhere, but it will get you moving. Bonus points: You’ll be saving gas!
Park far.. FAR.. away
Women: 10 minutes walking 40 calories
Men: 10 minutes walking 48
If you live too far away to realistically walk everywhere, try parking far away. When I was little I would always groan when my dad would do this trick. But parking a little farther just gives you a few extra steps to walk, which can add up after a long day of running errands.
Use your lunch break to go for a walk
Women: walking for an hour burns 120 calories
Men: walking for an hour burns 140 calories
If you have a the kind of job where you’re up on your feet the entire day this might not be for you, but if you have a desk job try going for a quick walk during your lunch break. If you get an hour take thirty minutes to eat and the rest to go for a few laps around the block. You’ll come back to work feeling refreshed and in a better mood to make it to the end of the day.
Fidget During the Day
Calories burned: 350
While its not exercise, fidgeting during the day can lead to a reasonable calorie expenditure. Fidgeting all day can burn up to 350 extra calories a day!
Make Friend Time Fit Time
Women: 1 hour hiking burns 436 calories
Men: 1 hour hiking burn 518 calories
You know that awkward moment when you’re planning something with friends and you can’t decide on what to do. Instead of responding with, “I don’t know what do you want to do,” suggest something physical like going for a hike or trying a new fitness class together. A lot of social time is spent doing things like drinking or eating (or both!). Change it up and go for something more active instead.
Break out your resistance band during the commercials
Women: 15 minutes of resisted squats burns 230 calories
Men: 15 minutes of resisted squats burns 270 calories
In the days of Netflix, commercials are kind of a thing of the past, but when you do turn on the tube break out your resistance band during the commercials. If you think about how many commercials they squeeze in during an episode of scandal, you’ll be getting a decent fifteen minute work out for every episode you watch.
Take your phone calls walking
Women: one hour walking burns 240 calories
Men: one hour walking 280 calories
Instead of texting, give some loved ones in your life a full conversation. While you’re talking on the phone to your mom, your long distance bff, or your bf/gf try going for a walk. You’ll be getting closer to the people you care about and mindlessly exercising. Win win.
