By Laurel House
Not in the mood to workout? That’s okay. Unbeknownst to you, everyday you are burning loads of calories just by going about your day- running errands, doing chores, hanging out with your girlfriends and having a good laugh, and best yet- having sex, even kissing. By being aware of your out and about calorie burn, I’d bet you’d take your daily activities up a notch. In fact, those who wear a pedometer take more steps than those who don’t. Why? Awareness.
Kendell Hogan, an ExerciseTV trainer, is a big proponent of non-traditional “exercise” to rack up burned calories without breaking a sweat. While a full on workout is obviously important to get your heart rate up (which means that you are getting a full on fat-burning cardio workout) even the little things add up when it comes to keeping your weight down. Try Kendall’s “Anytime Exercises” mini workout below.
So what Non-Workout Ways can Up your Calorie Burn?
Kendell suggests:
-Kiss… a lot. Passionate kissing is actually a great way to burn calories. Sex turns up the heat even more, singing hundreds of calories during an intense romp in the sheets.
-Laugh Out Loud. Laughing, I’m talking about big, open mouth, tears-streaming-down-your-face, belly laughing is a major calorie burner. How major? 10-15 minutes of solid laughter can burn as many as 50 calories!
-Take the Stairs. When you take the stairs instead of the elevator you are engaging your quads, hamstrings, calves and butt. Just set a limit as to how many flights are acceptable so you don’t get too crazy. Kendell has a 5 flight personal limit.
-Park Far. Find a parking space far away from the front door. Particularly when going to the gym, people! The walk from your car can be considered your warm-up. Multi-task!
-Curl your Purse. Do curls when you are carrying something- grocery bags, books, even just your purse counts for something. And for those of you who tote your life in your handbag, a simple set of purse curls can count for a lot!
-Dip off your Chair. Tricep Dip off your chair at work to tone your triceps.
-Calf Raises. Stand up and do Calf Raises while talking on the phone. It’s an easy way to both stretch and strengthen your leg muscles.
-Do Laundry. Just the motion of moving your laundry from the washer to the dryer, then folding and hanging your clothes is a great way to burn a few extra calories during the day. Amp it up by hanging one shirt at a time, forcing you to walk back and forth over and over.
-Lunge through the Park. While walking through a park or even just down a long hallway, add a few walking lunges. You will still get where you need to go, you will just activate your quads, abs, butt, and hamstrings while you’re at it.
So if you don’t have time to squeeze in an hour of cardio today, Kendell reminds us that you don’t have to do something contrived- like going to the gym, to workout. Just move. “If you’re doing something that makes you engage your muscles and use your cardio system, you are burning some calories and therefore burning some fat too."
Track and measure all of your activity with the Leslie Sansone talking pedometer on sale now in the ExerciseTV store.
