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Burn More Calories
During Your Day

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It's no secret, in order to lose weight we need to burn more calories than we take in. However, most people won't stay with a limited diet and strenuous work out program for very long.

But what if you could burn more calories and boost your metabolism while going about your normal activities of the day?

If you're like most of us, you're way too busy to exercise or you can't afford an expensive gym membership.

Don't let that stop you, check out these "busy and broke" calorie burning tips below. The calories burned during these exercises might surprise you. 

At Home

Before you even get out of bed, stretch your arms up over your head, then slowly do a sit up but don't use your hands.  Then keeping your legs straight, slowly lean forward reaching for your toes. Pause for a moment, then slowly lie back down without the use of your hands. This will stretch you out, tighten your abs and burn more calories, about 10-15.

While brushing your teeth, try balancing on your right leg for 30 seconds, then switch to your left. This is a good balance exercise and you'll have burned another 10 calories.

While waiting for the coffee, steady yourself using the counter, and do some legs lifts both out to the side and behind. Try to do 5-10 reps on each leg and burn 10 more calories.

Off To Work

While stuck in traffic on your drive into or home from work, put your buns to work. Squeeze your bootie, holding for 10 seconds and then release. Repeat and try to get to 10-15 squeezes per day. Your effort results in at least 10 more calories burned.

Work your thighs while you work your job. Instead of just sitting down, stop before your bottom hits the chair and stand back up. Make sure you keep your weight on your heels, bend at the hips and don't let your knees go past your toes. Chalk up another 15 calories burned.

While talking on the phone stand up and walk around or tap your toes if you must sit. Depending on how much you talk on the phone, you could burn another 50 calories.

Get personal, walk to your co-workers office instead of calling or e-mailing. Hand deliver instead of using inter-office mail and feel those calories sizzle.

Hoof it Baby, take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible. Even two minutes, five days a week, will burn as much as a 20 minute walk, 100-140 calories.

Lunch time eat healthy and then walk for the rest of the time with a goal to burn more calories, all activities add up at the end of the day.

Get a Pocket Pedometer and track your steps, recommended steps vary based on your personal health condition. But here are some guidelines:

• Under 5000 steps/day considered a "sedentary lifestyle index"
• 5,000-7,499 steps/day is typical of daily activity excluding sports/exercise and might be considered "low active."
• 7,500-9,999 likely includes some exercise or walking (and/or a job that requires more walking) and considered "somewhat active."
• 10,000 steps/day used to classify individuals as "active".
•  Individuals who take more than 12,500 steps/day are considered to be "highly active".

Break time. Find a wall and lean forward into the wall with your hands at shoulder height and do some wall push ups, works your chest and arms, burn baby burn.

Park further from the door or better yet, use public transportation to get to work, if possible.

On The Weekends

Going to the grocery store for just a "few things", carry a basket instead of getting a push cart.

Go shopping if you've got the time, rather than buying on-line unless it's a item you can't get in town.

Walk or run your dog this could burn 200-300 calories per hour.

Running errands is a great time to burn more calories by wearing a back pack with a 5lb bag of flour in it, work your way up to 10 lbs.

While pumping gas pump up your calorie burning by trimming your calf muscles. Rise up on the balls of your feet, hold and then lower back down, repeat until your filled up!

Go window shopping and try on a dozen outfits while thinking about how awesome you're going to look with a new slim and trim body (extra motivation!) Activities of any kind will burn calories!

Waiting in line again? Try to reach your arms behind you and grab your hands while pushing your chest forward and pressing your shoulder blades together. Breathe in and out slowly.

Heading up the stairs? Get a lower leg work out.  With both feet on the stairs, (please hold the railing with one hand), slide one foot back off the step to about the ball of your foot, then let your heel drop then rise back up and repeat for about 10 reps and then switch legs.

Sit on a Fitness Ball instead of a chair or couch, it will improve our posture, relieve back pain and strengthen your core muscles.

Sing it honey! Singing burns more calories than talking, so go ahead belt out those songs on Sunday morning at church.

Be an active spectator While watching your little superstars at soccer practice, make a point of leaving your seat and walk or run a lap around the field or gym every quarter, 4 or 5 laps will burn more calories than staying seated, 75 more calories gone.

Play out in the yard with your kids, play catch, frisbee or tag, 30 minutes equals 90 more calories burned.

Pick and choose from the above tips and you'll burn more calories in your everyday activities and you'll be toning your muscles at the same time. That combined with healthy food choices should help you develop a slimmer, trimmer and healthier body.

The key to burning more calories is to boost your metabolism.

Also, don't forget to make healthy choices in your diet and watch out for those hidden calories. 

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