Daily activities that can burn calories

Machines have become indispensable part of our lives, cutting down the time taken to get work done by half. But they have also helped to add a few inches to our waist and few pounds to our weight. A few changes in our daily activities can keep us in shape by increasing the amount of calories burnt. Just follow these tips and get slim.  

• Take the stairs– Start with giving elevators or lifts a miss and climbing the stairs. Just ensure that you have comfortable footwear and safe, well lit stairs. Initial few days you may pant your way up, but later you can try increasing the speed. Since you have to fight the gravity to go up, it proves to be a vigorous and effective exercise. You can burn around 8 calories in minute and also tone your legs and butts. Besides, it’s a good exercise for your knee and hip joints. It’s also the perfect exercise to perk up muscular stamina in the legs and increase cardiovascular endurance to excess strain. In fact, fitness equipment companies have taken the inspiration of the motion of climbing of stairs to design the stepper. While climbing down, slow the pace so your knee does not feel overloaded.
• Scrub and clean your floors and kitchen shelves– Stop hiring help to clean the floor and keeping your kitchen clean. Go down on your knees and scrub the floor clean. This gives good complete body work out. It tones the muscles in your arms and legs, burns mores than 200 calories, tucks your tummy in and above all, gives you a spotlessly clean kitchen.
• Hide that remote – This may initially seem annoying, but helps in a big way to burn those calories. Get up and switch channels, increase or decrease the volume and if it gets too annoying, just shut the TV and go for a walk.
• Stop taking the car for short distances– Next time if you are heading for grocery shopping, leave the car behind and walk the distance. For all you know, you may enjoy the walk, reconnect with nature and lose some calories.
• Fire the gardener– No one can beautify your garden as well as you do. So tend to your plants, mow the lawn and water your seeds by yourself. It can keep you active and you just might get a new hobby that you can enjoy. Besides, you save on the gardener’s salary.
• Fetch your things yourself– Stop sending your kids to fetch things. Get up and fetch them for yourself. In time it can get you more active and less bossy.
• Cut the stops– If you take the bus to work, get off a stop earlier and walk the rest of the way. Just learn to catch the bus early, so you are not late to work.
• Play with your kids– Stop just watching them have fun, join them. It can get the kids happy; give you some work out, not to forget be equally fun for you too.
• Do some crunches while watching TV– Don’t be a couch potato and sit and stare at the idiot box. So some crunches or finish cooking while watching TV. It can get you a flat tummy and stop you from putting on calories due to sitting idle.
• Take walk breaks– Take a walk for a minute or two between work at office. It can refresh your mind and get your body active again.
• Take the dog for a walk– In reality let your dog take you for the walk and burn the excess calories.