All of us need to eat and drink for us to survive and to enable our bodily functions to operate well.
However, when we exceed our daily caloric requirement and we fail or even forget to burn these extra calories through physical activity and exercise, these become stored as fat, and we gain weight.
While it is true that we burn calories when we work out, this may not be the only effective method we can do to achieve that healthy weight.
Here are ways to burn calories every day without skipping a meal or sweating it out too much in the gym.
1. Fidget Anytime ― Anywhere
Fidgeting is the act of doing small bodily movements like tapping the feet, drumming the fingers or playing with a pen, and so on.
These seemingly irrelevant movements you do when you’re bored help you burn 350 more calories per day compared to when you remain still.
One study conducted in 2000 by James Levine and colleagues, found out that individuals can burn calories when they are fidgeting in either sitting or standing position. Also, making bigger and faster movements such as leg swinging can burn more calories than when combing the hair.
Fidgeting is easy and can even be done anytime, anywhere. You might even want to start tapping those feet while reading this.
2. Sit on a Stability Ball Instead of an Office Chair
Sitting on a stability ball activates your core muscles to keep your balance. This also works to increase your energy expenditure while working in front of the computer.
According to a 2008 study conducted by researchers at the University of Buffalo, they found out that sitting on the stability ball instead of in an office chair increased the amount of burned calories by 4.1 per hour.
For those with back issues, you might want to check with your doctor first before trying this out.
3. Sleep
Lack of sleep has been associated with obesity, according to a study conducted by Taheri and colleagues in 2004. This is due to an increase in the hunger-stimulating hormone and a decrease in the satiety hormone, thus making a sleep-deprived person hungrier throughout the day. Thus, sleeping more can prevent us from consuming too many calories.
4. 10-minute Workouts
If your day unexpectedly becomes too hectic to go to the gym, do not worry. A formal workout in the gym is not necessarily the only way to burn calories.
Try brisk walking, climbing the stairs, squatting or doing some wall push-ups during your lunch break. Short cardiovascular or weight training sessions of moderate intensity still work successfully in shedding off excess calories and are much better than no workout at all.
5. Strength Training
Including resistance training to your daily workout can help build strength and muscle mass. These muscle tissues are much more efficient in burning calories.
6. Sugar-free Gum
Chewing on sugar-free gum not only reduces cravings and curbs one’s appetite. It also burns roughly 11 calories per hour, according to the Mayo Clinic.
7. Drink Water
Drinking an average of eight glasses of water per day has more advantages than we know. Not only does water hydrate our cells, but it has also been shown to decrease hunger and appetite and even boost metabolic rate by up to 30 percent.
Why not try water therapy? This is a practical method for those who want to lose weight, plus all you need to do is drink a half liter of water first thing in the morning.
8. Do Some Household Chores
Doing household chores not only keeps the house clean and tidy, but it also helps prevents excessive weight gain.
Chores like mopping, sweeping, changing the bed covers and ironing all help in burning calories. The tougher the chore is, the more calories you burn.
9. Eat Breakfast
Breakfast, the most important meal of the day and the most commonly missed meal, is certainly not the meal you’d want to skip.
Eating breakfast can stimulate the dietary-induced thermogenesis, which is the process of using and storing food, and calories are burned during this process. This also helps in boosting one’s metabolism.
Plus, it makes you feel fuller, which prevents you from overeating throughout the day.
10. Choose Organic Produce Over Nonorganic Produce
When buying fruits and vegetables from your local market, it best to choose organic ones because nonorganic produce contains organochlorines, which are chemicals in pesticides that slow down the metabolism.
Consume These Foods and Drinks That Boost Calorie Burning
a. Caffeinated Drinks
Caffeine has been shown to boost the resting metabolic rate by up to 11 percent and also helps burn fat. However, it is advised to consume caffeinated drinks like coffee or tea in moderation and also steer clear of the high-calorie ones, to prevent gaining excess weight.
b. Spices
Spices like cayenne pepper, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric, when added to our diet, increase our metabolism and also play a role in burning fat. Try putting a sprinkle of black pepper onto your green salad or adding a touch of cinnamon to your tea can do the trick. Indeed, an appetizing way to burn calories.
c. Chia Seeds
This high-fiber superfood can make us feel fuller quickly because it absorbs water and expands when eaten. Soaking chia seeds overnight can help make a yummy breakfast of chia pudding in the morning.
d. Quinoa
Quinoa, a superfood high in fiber and protein, has been shown to enhance metabolism and lessen appetite because these grains make you feel full longer. Also, quinoa helps burn calories throughout the day and decreases fat absorption, making it essential to those who want to lose the extra pounds.
11. Laugh Often
Laughing, which is associated with a decrease in stress hormones, has been shown to burn calories by up to 1.3 per minute.
Now, spending time laughing in front of the television watching your favorite sitcom does not seem so bad anymore, eh? Indeed, a lazy way to burn calories.
Why not laugh and fidget at the same time to burn more calories?
Try these surprisingly easy ways to burn calories that you can include into your daily routine effortlessly. Imagine how eating fat-burning foods, laughing often and doing short workouts can make you lose the extra calories.
But, then again, integrating these tips alongside physical activities and moderate exercise can have a greater impact on overall health, increase longevity and prevent chronic diseases in the future.
If you are looking for ways to lose weight, build muscle, have more energy throughout the day and get healthier without having to become a total health and fitness nut, then check out the Bodyweight Blender program, here!
