Skip The Gym With These 10 Gym-Free Ways To Burn Calories

by Kathy Smith

This weekend, skip the gym. (Seriously!) Most of us focus on trying to find time for a 30-minute workout, and yet, moving throughout the day is just as important. Don’t get me wrong…the last thing I want to do is discourage anyone from devoting time to exercise. But what if I told you that you can burn calories around the clock without hitting the treadmill? Today, I’ll show you 10 gym-free ways to burn calories all weekend long!

First things first…It’s important to understand that doctors, research journals, even the World Health Organization agree: A sedentary lifestyle may be to blame for a host of illnesses, from fatty liver disease to diabetes, even for people who work out regularly but spend too much time sitting. Sure, we live in a computer-based world, and we can’t always jump up from our desks for a quick jog. But we can do a little more multitasking, and add more physical activity to our schedules on the weekends or when we’re not working. For adding activity to your day, it’s the little stuff that counts.

Try these 10 ways to burn more calories throughout your day without a treadmill:

1. Fidget! According to a study from the Mayo Clinic, simply tapping your foot during your favorite songs throughout the day can help you burn up to 350 calories.

2. Stand tall! If you want to slim down and boost your confidence, good posture is the first step. Standing tall projects to the world that you feel good about yourself, and it will help you burn extra calories and can even make you look 10 pounds thinner…not to mention a few years younger!

3. Go to comedy night! Laughing for 10-15 minutes a day burns an additional 50 calories. It may not sound like a lot, but if you do it every day, that’s 350 calories a week by simply enjoying a good joke.

4. Clean up! Move your trashcan away from your desk, so instead of a reach-and-toss, you’ve got to go for a short walk to throw things away.

5. Sit & brush! Instead of leaning on the sink while you brush your teeth, do a wall sit: Standing with your back a couple feet from the wall, bend your knees and lower into a 90-degree angle squat position, and hold it there for 15-60 seconds. Suddenly your morning brush isn’t just about your teeth and gums – now it’s a great leg and glute strengthener, too.

6. Make showtime your fitness time. When you’re watching TV, make the commercial break your fitness break, alternating lower-body-firming plies with core-strengthening planks.

7. Visit a friend. Instead of calling a friend or your next door neighbor, take a stroll outside to say “hello” in person.

8. Aim for 10,000. Set a goal of 10,000 steps a day (it takes around 2,000 steps to walk a mile). Treat yourself to an activity monitor as a fun way to stay on track. I’m eager to trest out Apple Watch’s fitness tracker coming next year, but in the meantime, I’m enjoying trackers like my Fitbit. If you wear a tracker throughout the day, you’ll get an easy read on indicators such as number of steps taken, distance traveled, even calories burned. When you see how close you are to your goal, you’ll be amazed what a great motivator it is to get out for that after-dinner walk.

9. Go for the incline! Learn to love the stairs, or at least, the calorie burn. A person climbing stairs uses around 10 calories per minute, or 360 calories in just 20 mins.

10. Walk & talk! For those long-distance loved ones who love to catch up by phone, head out for some fresh air with your cell, and walk and talk. Isn’t it about time we put the “mobile” back into “mobile phone”?

You can tone up and burn calories in a way that’s convenient for you. It just takes a little bit of creativity. You don’t have to dramatically reschedule your day. All you have to do is find new ways to add movement throughout it. Start with these tips, and get creative with your own!

Kathy