Feel The Burn: How to Burn More Calories Every Day

If you’re trying to lose weight or simply be as healthy as possible, it isn’t just about the food you eat. You could eat healthily and avoid all treats, but if you’re also a bit of a couch potato, you won’t be burning enough calories to make much of a difference.

Not all of us can make it to the gym every week – and there’s a very real chance that even if we could, we’d find a reason not to – but this doesn’t mean you can’t exercise. Even small increases in how much you move during the day can help you burn more calories, which will help you watch your weight.

So rather than joining up to a gym that you may only see the inside of a couple of times in a month or investing in expensive workout equipment, why not try a few of this little ideas that could help add up to big changes?

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Whether you’ve got handfuls of shopping or just want to get to your office quickly in order to enjoy a mug of that all important caffeine in the morning, hopping on an escalator or in a lift can be really tempting. However, this means you’re moving less, getting fewer steps in and not burning as many calories as you could be.

Instead of pressing that button to call the lift, head for the stairs and take them at a comfortable pace. Take a rest between floors if you need to or if you have a long way to go. Even if you just get off the lift a few floors early and walk the rest of the way up the stairs to build up your endurance, it will help you get a bit more exercise into your day.

Soon enough, you’ll be able to get up those stairs at a faster pace and without arriving on your floor red-faced and out of breath.

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If you’re able to walk into work – even if you can’t also manage the walk home after a full day – this will help you get more steps in and ensure you are more active at least five days a week. However, not everyone can make it into work on foot so this isn’t always the best option.

Those who get the bus into work should try getting off a few stops earlier so they have to walk a little bit further in order to get to work. This might not seem like a big deal, but doing this at the start and end of your day can make a big difference over time.

You can even do this if you drive into work, as you can simply find somewhere a bit further away to park, making you walk that little bit more. You’ll soon find you’re able to walk for greater distances and could even graduate to an almost-run.

If you have short journeys to make, avoid other forms of transport all together and invest in a comfortable pair of trainers.

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Whether you’ve got an office job or are a fan of the Netflix life, sitting down for extended periods of time isn’t great and could lead to you piling on pounds or make them hard to shift. Rather than sitting down all day at work or relaxing on the sofa for the entire evening, make sure you get up and move around every hour.

This is generally better for your health in the long-run as well as helping you burn more calories. It can also help you feel refreshed and wake your brain up, which is handy if you’re experiencing the mid-afternoon slump.

You don’t need to move a lot, simply walking to the kitchen to make a round of coffees or having a short stroll around the office will help stretch your muscles a bit. Plus your colleagues are sure to like you more if you’re regularly offering them a cuppa.

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There’s nothing better than a good stretch, so why not make it part of your daily routine? Stretching your muscles out helps to reduce tension but can also be a gentle form of exercise.

You don’t need to do a full yoga session – although you can give this a try to if you want – as a few simple stretches both morning and night can help burn a few extra calories, as well as make you feel better. Get into a routine of doing them a couple of times a day and you may even end up adding more rigorous stretches to your day in the future.

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Of course, no amount of exercise makes up for a bad diet so make sure you’re eating well as well as moving more. This doesn’t mean you need to skip out on all the good stuff though, as our ActiFry ensures you get tasty meals with a lot less oil and effort.