The human body is designed to be active. Therefore, any type of activity helps to burn fat and firm muscles. If you don't have time to go to the gym to work out, with effort and discipline you can achieve similar results at home. Make the most of the daily tasks you perform, and you may be surprised at how many of those extra pounds eventually come off. An added advantage is that it won't cost you any money.
Step 1
Climb the stairs. Not only is this one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise, it can help tone your thighs, strengthen your leg muscles and take off the pounds. The more you weigh, the harder you have to work and the more calories you burn. Climbing stairs is a low-impact exercise that just about anybody can do. It also helps to shape the calves, thighs and buttocks. You can increase the intensity by climbing two stairs at a time.
Step 2
Put more muscle into your housework. Mopping the floor and vacuuming may seem like mundane tasks, but these actions can help you burn calories and tone up your body. While household chores may be only moderate activity, these tasks add to the total number of steps you take each day. The more steps you take, the more calories you burn. Anti-aging experts Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz recommend walking at least 10,000 steps each day, every day.
Step 3
Do the laundry. This task requires lots of bending and stretching. It also tones the arms. Laundry involves sorting, folding and hanging clothes---all moderate activities that burn calories. Keep in mind that the longer you keep at any activity, the more calories you burn. The key is to keep moving.
Step 4
Wash your car by hand using a sponge and bucket of water. Washing the car is not just an effective form of exercise, it's also better for the environment and cheaper than taking your car to the car wash. If the job takes you an hour, you could burn up to 300 calories. Any extra movement on your part helps to burn more calories, which contributes to weight loss, according to the Mayo Clinic. Increasing the amount and duration of physical activity in your daily routine yields greater benefits.
Step 5
Mow the lawn. This chore exercises your arms, legs, abdominal muscles and back. Cutting the grass, gardening, pulling weeds and raking leaves all burn calories. You burn about 175 calories when you weed for 30 minutes. Burn another 130 calories by bagging the leaves you rake. Any outdoor chores offer you the opportunity to burn calories.
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