Working Out Without Working Out!

By: Christi Shingara

A few of our fitness posts talk about exercise routines and how to maintain them such as “Structuring your Workout Routine” and “The Benefits of Shorter Workouts”, but did you know that you can workout without actually having a workout routine? A busy day at the office or just chasing around the little ones all day can burn more calories than you think. Here are a few ways that you can burn some extra calories without having to set aside an hour of your day to exercise.

Take the Stairs

If you work in an office building that has an elevator or escalator consider taking the stairs. According to StepJockey, you can burn .17 calories for every stair you climb or a calorie and half for every flight. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you do that multiple times during the day and throughout the week, you will burn more calories than you think.

Take a Lunch Break Walk

One thing I like to during my lunch break is to take a walk. I take 30-minutes to eat my lunch and then the other 30-minutes I go out and take a walk. It not only helps me burn some calories and gets me moving, but it also clears my head and gets me ready to take on the rest of my day. Walking after you eat also helps with digestion. Check out the benefits of walking in the post “Walking: Is it Better Than Running?”.

Park Further Away

Annoyed that the parking spaces closest to the office are usually taken? Don’t be! The further you park the better. Consider it a mini-workout! You get more steps in, which helps you burn those additional calories.

Use a Standing Desk

Standing desks have been quite popular in the office over the past few years. There are claims that standing desks help with certain back pain, improve mood and help lower the risk of heart disease. Standing also can burn 100 to 200 calories an hour. So if you can’t get out of the office for a walk, consider a standing desk.

Chasing Kids

Did you know chasing kids around for an hour can burn up to 200 calories? Anyone with kids know that chasing them around is a daily task and can feel never ending due to their endless energy. Think of it as a really great exercise! You can also play high energy games with kids such as hop scotch or hula hoop to not only occupy them, but also to tire them out!

Cleaning the House

Cleaning the house can be a daunting task and one that no one really wants to do, but in reality, it is a great workout. Approximately 30-minutes of cleaning could burn up to 85 calories. Not too bad for dusting the coffee table and cleaning the tub!

Yard Work

Yes, another daunting task if you are a home owner, but doing yard work can be a great full body workout. So, if you are dreading the thought of raking leaves or weeding the garden, just think that you are keeping both you and your home in tip-top shape.

Have other ways of exercising without actually exercising? Let me know in the comments below!