So, you’re on board with this health and fitness thing for the new year. That’s great. But maybe you’re finding it difficult to work exercise into your already busy schedule. While it’s true that you need to make fitness a priority, it’s also true that sometimes schedules don’t allow for a traditional workout. Of course, time at the gym is always a plus, but when you just can’t get there, don’t give up. It’s easy to take the all or nothing approach. “Oh, my meeting ran long and now I don’t feel like going to the gym, so I’ll just eat this cheesecake and try again tomorrow.” Come on, who are you kidding? There are plenty of ways you can still be active and burn some calories on busy days.
In general, a good workout will burn about 500 calories. Keep in mind that none of these activities should be considered a replacement for a workout, but if it’s all you’ve got time for, it’s better than nothing. And, the more you do, the more it adds up. Aim for activities that keep you on your feet. Sitting down to write out a grocery list or check your email might be necessary, but they won’t help you burn calories. To stay on track with your fitness goals, be sure to pay close attention to your nutrition on days you skip a workout.
Sweep the floors. If you weigh 150 pounds, you’ll burn about 120 calories sweeping floors for 30 minutes. If you weigh 200 pounds, you’ll burn about 165 calories in 30 minutes.
Mop. If you’re going to sweep, you might as well mop, right? If you weigh 150 pounds, you’ll burn about 115 calories in 30 minutes. If you weigh 200 pounds, you’ll burn about 155 calories in half an hour.
Do some laundry. Especially if you have stairs in your home, this is a good way to get some exercise doing something that has to get done anyway. Laundry truly is the ultimate sneaky calorie burner. You are in constant motion, lifting, sorting, folding, carrying, and climbing. If you wear a pedometer, you’ll be amazed at how many more steps you take on laundry day. If you weigh 150 pounds, you’ll burn about 75 calories for every 30 minutes spent doing laundry. If you weigh 200 pounds, you’ll burn about 100 calories for every half hour of laundry. Considering that you can never get it done in 30 minutes, you can work up a good calorie burn, and have clean clothes, by the end of the day.
Clean your baseboards and walls. Where does all that gunk come from anyway? If you’re tired of looking at it and only have a half hour, you’re in luck. Put on your favorite sitcom or a little music and get to work. If you weigh 150 pounds, you can burn 120 calories in 30 minutes. If you weigh 200 pounds, you can burn about 160 calories in that half hour.
Get some groceries. Maybe you can’t get to the gym because you’re out of milk and toilet paper, and that has to come first. No worries. You can burn quite a few calories buying and putting away groceries. If you weigh 150 pounds and you’ll burn about 80 calories for ever 30 minutes you’re shopping for groceries and pushing a cart. And you’ll burn another 85 calories for every 30 minutes you spend hauling them into the house and getting them put away. If you weigh 200 pounds, you’ll burn 105 calories for every half hour shopping, and 110 calories for every half hour putting them away.
Play with your pet. Maybe you just don’t feel like hitting the gym because you’ve had a hard day. A little playtime with your pet can cheer you up, and you can get some exercise, too. If you weigh 150 pounds and spend 30 minutes playing with and/or walking your dog, you can burn 95 calories. If you weigh 200 pounds, you can burn 125 calories. And, more than likely, you’ll be in a better mood when you’re done.
Talk it up:
How do you sneak in calorie burning activities when you can’t get to the gym?
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