If you’re tired of fighting the battle of the bulge, one thing that could potentially speed up your progress is taking a good look at how you can burn more calories all day long.  One of the biggest reasons that people fail to see success is because they only focus on their workouts – not really thinking about the rest of their daily activity.

If you go to the gym and have an incredibly intense workout…then end up sitting for the rest of day because you’re exhausted, you might actually be burning fewer calories over the next 24 hours than if you had skipped that workout entirely!  Everyday activities really do add up and by staying more active throughout the day, you can move that much closer to your weight loss goals.   Let’s have a quick peak at three ways that you can burn calories all day long.

Get Up Every Hour

A really simple way to boost your daily calorie burn is to simply GET UP & MOVE. Make a conscious effort to get away from your desk and walk around every hour.  Not only will this help you burn more calories, but you’ll probably notice that you have more energy.   Sitting for hours on end is a quick way to drain your energy.  Getting up will get your blood circulating again.  Set a timer at your desk to go off every hour so you’re reminded to get up and stroll around the office.  Even if it’s only for 4 or 5 minutes, it will add up.

Take the Stairs

Another easy way to get in more activity throughout the day is to take the stairs rather than the elevator.  You’ve heard this tip time and time again and most people don’t think much of it.  After all, how many calories does climbing one flight of stairs burn? 5?  If you do this 10 times a day, that’s 50 extra calories burned!  Do this for one month and you’ll have lost almost half a pound of body fat!

If you climb two flights of stairs at once, double that number.   And for those of you who work on an upper floor…well, you get the idea  ;)

Go For a Walk at Lunch

Instead of sitting at your desk through lunch and mindlessly munching on the sandwich that you brought along, consider getting up and going for a walk. Exercise will help to suppress your appetite so you’ll be less likely to consume as many calories at that lunch meal and you’ll be burning calories in the process.

A brisk walk for fifteen minutes will still allow you plenty of time to eat a healthy lunch.  Aim to eat it away from the computer as well as you’ll feel more satisfied if you sit down and actually enjoy that lunch meal.

Now let’s get up & move!  Have a healthy, energized day!

Posted in Fitness, Mind & Motivation by Jamie | No Comments Yet