Sneaky Ways to Burn Calories

Hello dear readers,

Look at how faithful I'm being!  Two posts in a row!  Told you I'd be back.

I thought you all would be interested in this... how do we burn calories, without really "working out?"

Here are 8 "sneaky" ways...

1. Don't sit still! If you're a nervous leg bouncer or pencil tapper, you're in luck. On average, fidgeting can burn between 300-350 extra calories per day, though that number will vary widely depending on your fave form of fidgeting. (For example: pacing will burn more calories than table drumming.)

2. Laugh...a lot! According to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study, "Ten to 15 minutes of laughter could increase energy expenditure by 10 to 40 calories per day, which could translate into about four pounds a year."

3. Spice it up! Research shows that chili peppers can boost your metabolic rate, causing the body to burn 50 more calories a day.

4. Chomp away! Chewing gum burns roughly 11 calories an hour. Make sure you use sugarless to avoid added calories and cavities. Extra credit for walking at the same time.

5. Clean up! Don't groan at your to-do list, thank it: light housework like dusting and laundry burns 170 calories per hour. Tackle bigger chores like washing the car or cleaning the gutters and up your burn to 204 calories per hour.


6. Shop 'til you drop! Roaming the aisles and swiping the credit card is more taxing than you think. The typical grocery shopping trip incinerates 156 calories per hour. Up that burn even more by parking far away from the store, carrying your groceries to the car yourself, and multiple trips to bring them inside. Just don't ruin that burn by filling your cart with junk.


7. Drink up! According to Men's Health, drinking eight pints of ice water a day will cause your body to expend 123 calories of heat to warm that water to body temperature. When it comes to water, the colder, the better.

8. Just dance! Just 20 minutes of dancing can burn 100 calories. If you don't have the smoothest of moves, just turn down the shades, crank up the tunes and go nuts!


*Calories burnt are based on a 150lb woman

Stay tuned.

Day 2: Health Tip - Place it Far Away

Good afternoon readers!

So I've been talking at you for a few posts now, and I just thought I'd give some credibility to myself quick...so you realize I'm not just "some quack."  My name is Samantha.  I work at the Mayo Clinic.  I work in endocrinology/diabetes/nutrition.  My personal passion is obesity - especially childhood obesity...after all, did you know we now have an epidemic of obese six month olds?

True story friend.

Shocking, right?  Yep.  Anyway, on to the blog of the day...

Put things farther away.  You heard me.  Move that trash can from under your desk at work to five feet way.  And for those of you who are basketball superstars, move it further.  The further the better.  Move that  binder next to your desk that you grab for every two minutes - to a shelf above your desk where you must stand to reach it.  Move your cell phone a few feet away.  Move your mini fridge from beside your bed.  Make it so you must get up to change the channel on the TV or move the remote a couch or a chair away.  Think this is simple?  It is, that is the brilliance my friends.  But the amount of times your getting up to move will be significantly increased.

Move more, burn more, think better, feel better.

And just to back this idea up, I've been doing it.  And our research shows that the more you move, the more productive you are, and the better you learn.

Things that I have "far away:"
1) My trash can at work...I go here a lot, makes me get up at least once every ten to fifteen minutes and doesn't interrupt my work.  If anything, it makes me more productive.
2) My cell phone.  I put it farther away from my desk so I can't conveniently check it whenever I want to.  I must go to it.  I also do this at home.
3) The remote.  When and IF I watch TV I'll put the remote one couch away.  It was annoying at first, but when I realized just how much even little movements can make a huge difference, I don't mind it anymore.

Get creative.  What can you move farther away?  Post your ideas below, I'd love to hear em.  And don't forget to take my (now weekly) poll on the side of this page.

This post wasn't helpful to you?  Well then just stay tuned for tomorrows post.  Or later tonight's post.  Depending on my ambition levels.