5 Easy Calorie-Burning Activities

Want to lose weight and keep it off? (I know, stupid question), then there is only one way to make that happen. Consume only as many calories as you need to sustain your activity level. Otherwise you need to burn, baby, burn. Each calorie you burn is a measurement of energy. Your body converts food into energy by combining calories from proteins, carbohydrates, and fats with oxygen.

If you burn more calories than you eat you will lose weight, if you eat more calories than you burn, well, yeah, your going to build up your love handles instead of your biceps. On average, people need to consume 2000 calories a day: 60 percent of those calories provides energy for your body’s daily operations, which include breathing, chewing, digesting food, and circulating blood.

Another 30 percent of your daily calorie intake is expended through activities such as household chores, sports, and just being active. Now, it is interesting to note that the more muscle tissue you have the more calories you burn even when you are resting. In fact for each additional pound of muscle approximately 50 extra calories are burned daily. Not bad, eh? But first you have to develop some muscles, which you can do in a number of ways such as, lifting free weights at the gym, or your ample derriere in yoga class.

According to Dr. Robert Gerszten of Massachusetts General Hospital, “Ten minutes of exercise has at least an hour of effects on your body.” So, if even short amounts of exercise can be good for you, then what are you waiting for? Fit these calorie burners into your day and watch your body change.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Brandon B.

1:53PM PST on Dec 2, 2011

Another easy way to burn calories is just drinking ice water. Though it is recommended you drink water closer to your body temperature to hydrate faster, ice water helps because before your body can process it, it has to be body temperature, meaning the colder it is, the more calories your body burns to convert it. Also unless you are a professional athlete, you should stay away from sports drinks like gatorade unless you have a major electrolyte deficiency. If that is the case, and you are dehydrated, I suggest 1/3 gatorade or other sports drink mixed with 2/3 water.

send a green star

Emma S.

12:46PM PDT on Oct 28, 2011

Number five is very useful if you do sedentary work at home, which I often do. I've found pedometers useful as they encourage you to compete against yourself: I want to do at least as many steps as I did yesterday. (Although I do find they break or fall off / get lost annoyingly often.) So keeping a record of what you've done can be useful. Sitting on an exercise ball instead of a chair can be good, as long as you can reach your desk! I sometimes get exercises from Youtube. I also recently bought some trainers that are supposed to exercise you more as you walk - and they do seem to be taking effect. I'm a very lazy person and I eat too many chocolates, so I do what I can!

May H.

10:43AM PDT on Sep 4, 2011

Blu A.

6:54AM PDT on Sep 4, 2011

... these ideas really do work .. I am almost 70 years young and I do everything I can to keep moving,moving,MOVING Yah!

Ida J.

5:06AM PDT on Sep 4, 2011

thanks

Kirsten S.

9:45PM PDT on Sep 3, 2011

Thanks!

Zazgyva A.

3:21PM PDT on Aug 15, 2011

sweet, thx

Rita S.

8:18PM PDT on Apr 20, 2011

I also park my car away from stores to have that walking
distance for exercise. I am beginning to find many ways
to use my home as a gym instead of going to the gym. A
great tip is: if you have steps walk up and down several
times a day for exercise. I go up and down at least 5x
every day.

Melissah C.

9:05PM PST on Dec 14, 2010

Janice L.

10:14PM PST on Nov 26, 2010

If you're just getting into shape, all you really have to do is a little. Americans think they have to run five miles the first time they exercise. It's just not necessary.

If you can't do anything else, fidget at your desk. I've read about how many calories fidgeting burns. It's incredible.