8 Ways to Burn Calories Without Noticing

1. Take the escalator -- but climb the stairs while you ride. You'll get there faster and use your muscles while you're at it. Just 5 minutes of stair climbing burns 144 calories.

2. Instead of piling items on the stairs so you can take them upstairs at once, take them one at a time.

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3. When cooling your heels while waiting in a doctor's office, drugstore, or airport, stay on your feet -- standing burns 36 more calories per hour than sitting.

Robert Simon/istockphoto.com

4. Rake leaves instead of using a leaf blower: You'll burn 50 more calories every half hour.

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5. Scrub your floors more often. Putting some elbow grease into cleaning floors is more intense than vacuuming -- and it makes your floors look better to boot.

6. Chew sugarless gum. Research has found that the action of jaw muscles alone burns about 11 calories an hour.

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7. Wash your car by hand instead of taking it through the automatic carwash. You'll burn an extra 280 calories in an hour.

8. Play with kids: Impromptu games of basketball, touch football, or tag -- or just jumping rope or throwing a ball -- will help you use energy and set a good example of active play for the children. Calories burned: 80 to 137 every 10 minutes.

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