The biggest complaint I hear from my clients is that they have NO TIME to do cardio or work in another calorie burning session during the week. Yes, ideally you want to be able to set aside 25-30 minutes of just straight cardio, but if it’s not possible in one shot then you have get creative and look for alternatives ways to burn more calories.
First, it’s important to think of losing weight from a weekly perspective vs. daily. In order to lose 1 pound of fat per week it takes reducing your caloric intake by 500 per day. Although, this can be done through diet alone adding activities to burn calories during the day is a much healthier way. There are so many little things you can do during the day to help burn extra calories. Here are a few that may not seem like much, but really add up by the end of the week! Here are 3 things you can do to burn extra calories throughout the day.
Do you drive to work or take public transportation? If you drive, where do you park? Instead of parking as close to your office as possible, try parking 10 minutes away. Then power walk to your office for those 10 minutes. This is a great way to burn extra calories, because not only will you have to walk an extra 10 minutes to go in, but you’ll have to walk an extra 10 minutes when you leave. That’s 20 minutes of a little cardio that you’ll be adding to your day! You can do the same thing if you take public transportation. Instead of getting off at the closest stop, get off at the stop just before and walk the extra distance on the way in and on your way home. If you do this 5 days a week, you’ll be adding over an hour and half of cardio to your week!
What floor is your office on? Do you usually take an elevator up? Try taking the stairs instead. This is another easy way to burn extra calories! Stair climbing is not only a great cardio option, it is also a great way to building strength in your quads, glutes and hamstrings. The muscles in your legs are the biggest in the body, therefore the more you build them up, the more calories you burn at rest. This means that just by replacing your daily elevator trip with walking up stairs you could burn more calories when you are not in an active state. Try taking the stairs when you get into the office, during your lunch break and at the end of the day, even if each adds a few extra minutes to your day, it’ll be worth it!
Make sure you get up and walk around during the work day. I know for some of you, this is easier said than done. I often hear people say they’re “too busy to get up from their desk.” But just like with anything else, creating a new healthy habit takes conscious efforts. Put an alarm on your phone to remind you to get up and walk around for at least 2 minutes every hour or so. Not only will this help you burn extra calories, it will also help with circulation, which helps with better mental alertness! And make sure you allot time to get up and get lunch. If you buy your lunch, add a walk to it. Whether you have to walk far to get it, or not, add an extra 10 minute walk. If you bring your lunch, give yourself 10 minutes after eating to go for a walk. Not only will this small effort help you burn more calories, but it could also help break up your day!
It’s important to understand that every little bit of activity counts! Your body cannot tell the difference between burning 500 calories in one cardio session vs. working in a little bit of activity throughout out the week that adds up to 500 calories burned in the end. Therefore, try to think outside the box and get active even a little bit every day to burn extra calories!
Disclaimer
Although my blog topics can be very beneficial to your overall health, they are not intended for the purpose of providing medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published information on or through my website, blog, e-mails, programs and services. However, the information may inadvertently contain inaccuracies or typographical errors. Every effort has been made to present you with the most accurate, up-to-date information, but because the nature of diet, fitness and health research is constantly evolving, we cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of our content.
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