Structured exercise is important if you're trying to change your body or get in better condition. But, for general health, simply moving around more throughout the day is just one simple way to burn more calories over time. In fact, in a recent study experts studied the difference between self-described lean couch potatoes and overweight couch potatoes and found that the overweight folks sat an average of 164 minutes longer than the leaner subjects. The leaner subjects actually burned an extra 350 calories per day just by moving around more. Obviously that isn't the only contributor to weight gain, but it's intriguing to think that moving around can make such a difference.
Just like those extra food calories can add up to weight gain, those extra calories you burn just by getting out of the chair more often can add up to weight loss over time. How could you be more active throughout the day? This chart lists a few ideas for you to try. (Numbers are for 10 minutes of activity for a 160-lb person).
| Instead of: | Do this: |
| Sitting at your desk (24 calories) | Stand while you work (37 calories) |
| Hiring a landscaper (0 calories) | Cut your own grass with a pushmower (96 calories) |
| Sitting and reading (16 calories) | Read while doing some light stretches (40 calories) |
| Emailing a co-worker (23 calories) | Take a walk and talk to them in person (40 calories) |
| Watching TV (15 calories) | Go bowling (48 calories) |
| Walking to the closest bathroom (40 calories) | Take the stairs to one on a different floor (98 calories) |
I don’t know whose lawn you’re mowing, but here in Texas there is NO WAY that walking up a flight of stairs to go to the restroom can come any where near to mowing my yard with a pushmower, calorie-wise! Whoever wrote this must be mowing little, tiny, 10 X 10 grass lots. My yard takes 3 hours to mow. In the heat of summer, that’s a heck of a lot of calories being burned. Even if I was constipated I couldn’t burn more walking up the stairs and going to the potty. You need to refigure this!
The calories listed are for 10 minutes of each activity. Obviously, the longer you do them, the more calories you’ll burn.
I bought a pedometer recently and used it to track my movements during the day. I have to walk around a lot at work to various co-workers, to my car (1 mi. from the office, and not by choice!), around campus, etc. By lunch time I have clocked over 10,000 steps!
What I do at work is walk a mile on my 15 minute morning break, and again at my 15 minute afternoon break. Keeps me out of the snack bar. Good for fibromyalgia and osteoporosis, not to mention calories burnt and muscles built and posture improved because I concentrate on it.
I have been searching for exercise programs. All of the information is great for the average person however I have M.S. and many days I dont have the strength or energy to do many of these things. I am looking for something geared to persons with M.S. I guess my best bet is to have my primary doctor refer me to a physical therapist when I see him next month.
I heard that you can burn more calories by taking a cold shower. Is that true?
Being a lifelong teacher and avid reader, I would never suggest reading while stretching! I do agree that the more you move,the less calories consumed, and the structured exercises will help the person obtain the goal of a healthier you.
I have been strength training for the past 3 weeks 2x per day and walking the other for for 30 – 45 mins per day except for Sundays. I know that muscle weighs more than fat, but how long does it take to actually see the “fat” weight coming off on the scale? Or should I guage my progress by how clothes fit or by body measurements? I’d like to have 30 lbs off by Christmas and it feels slow going.
Hello ,im on a diet, i started at 150
and now im down to 124, final goal weight is 110:) i hope to be there soon, maybe for my 20th birthday, it would be nice to be down to the weight im used to. Im always looking for new exersizes, so far i do lots with my purple exersize ball, i do 200 or more bounces on it, and 50 or more push ups on it, also do alot of cleaning/walking. Looking for new intresting exersizes to do, if anyone has any ideas, email me @ cherryprincess18@hotmail.com hope to hear from u soon:) and good luck everyone on there weightloss!!
Interesting, I will keep the general idea in mind. I just started my diet 3 weeks ago. So far I lost 6 pounds on Weight Watchers.
David, that amount of calories burnt is that for 10 minutes. Doing 10 minutes of lawn mowing burns less calories than walking 10 minutes of stairs. Your lawn needs 3 hours to mow, thus you shall burn that amount of calories times 18 when you finish mowing your lawn.
Thanks for all the nice advices…I’ll keep that in mind…
About cold showers and weight-loss I know of an alternative:Drinking 2 glasses (about 1/2 quart) of thoroughly chilled water from the fridge (i.e. ice-cold) will rev up your metabolism and increase your calorie-burning for several hours. In Germany we even do it in the winter — you get used to it. Added benefit: it contributes to the daily water intake we all need.
i am 15 years old and i weigh about 175 pounds. it is really hard for me and i am trying to loose about 60 pounds. i am really hopeing that this will help but if anybody has anymore advice please tell me… please!
Great advice! Eating healthy is so important. I’ve been doing great using the free weight loss programs from FitClick.