Sneaky Ways To Burn Calories

While working out may be the most effective way to burn calories, it also involves finding time to sweat, a problem for many in the hustle and bustle of the 21st century. A variety of practices, however, can serve as sneaky ways to burn calories while becoming more fit. These tips are easily worked into your daily routine, but will still require effort, an aspect of fitness that cannot be avoided.

Master the Stairs

Long before fitness centers provided the benefits of climbing stairs, buildings offered them all the while. Everyday activities, such as shopping and getting around the office, provide opportunities to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Getting into the routine of taking the stairs to the boss' office on the third floor instead of taking the elevator is an effectively sneaky way to burn calories.

Standing and Roaming

Anything you do burns calories, even sitting at your desk for an hour. Occasionally standing for a few minutes while at your desk, perhaps while taking a phone call, is a sneaky way to burn even more calories than just sitting there. When there's a lull in the work flow or your creative juices have stopped flowing, get up and roam the halls and burn some calories for a few minutes.

Parking

Instead of driving around the parking lot waiting for the closest spot to the building or store to open up, park in the far reaches of the parking lot instead, the walk will do you good. This sneaky way of burning calories not only gets your heart pumping, it could help you avoid the stress of someone stealing the spot you've been looking for.

Washing Dishes and Shopping

Everyone loves the convenience of a dishwasher, but doing dishes by hand helps you burn more calories than just loading the machine does. You can burn as many as 35 calories during a 30-minute dishwashing session, reports "Glamour" magazine. Heading to the grocery store is another way to sneakily burn calories. After parking in the far regions of the store's parking lot and purchasing the ingredients for dinner, carry your bags to the car instead of wheeling them in a cart.

Clean the House

Vacuuming, dusting, sweeping and washing. Chores nobody likes to do, but sneaky ways, one and all, of burning calories. These chores and others like them involve stooping, pacing, bending, lifting and other motions that can, in addition to burning calories, serve as effective ways to tone muscles while completing another of those pesky items on your "to do" list.