Burning Calories Outside of the Gym
Although, we think of exercise as our main way of burning calories, it is actually our everyday activities of life that contribute most to your total daily calorie burn. Believe it or not, your body burns a lot of calories in order to run itself and accomplish those everyday acts of life. If you are looking to increase your total daily calorie burn without adding an extra gym session or class, then look to change some of your ADL or Activities of Daily Living.
Below is a list of changes you can make to your activities of daily living in order to increase the number of calories you burn outside of the gym.
First up, take the stairs instead of an escalator or elevator. This is a great way to burn extra calories throughout the day. I like to use the 6-floor rule. The rule is, if the floor your destination is on is 6 floors or less then take the stairs. You’ll get a brief cardiovascular exercise while also strengthening your legs.
Next up we have parking. We are all guilty of it, we all look to park closest to the entrance we need. Instead, try parking further away. The further away you park the more steps it will take for you to reach the entrance which takes more energy to complete, which equals more calories burned.
If your job has you sitting often throughout the day. A good way to stay active is to take hourly or half hourly laps around the office to stretch your legs and get you out of your chair. Doing so will keep you awake at your desk and burn some calories in the process.
Good posture not only keeps your spine functional and health, but it can also take more calories to keep good posture than it does to slouch. If you sit or stand throughout your work shift, keeping good posture can increase the number of calories burned throughout your day. Try to remind yourself to sit up straight with your shoulders back and make good posture a habit.
Last but definitely not least, find time in your day to stretch. You will burn calories while you stretch but stretching will also help decrease muscle soreness and increase flexibility.
These are just some tips to help increase your calorie burn outside the gym.
Thanks for reading and we hope these help you achieve your fitness goals.
KSP Fitness Staff
