For those of us trying to lose weight, burning calories is what we want. It’s something that goes in our heads all day long. And so, we exhaust ourselves, probably over-train to burn those calories. So, if you belong to the same category of people, here is a piece of good news for you – exercising is not the only way you can burn calories.
There are a hundred different ways that can help you burn calories. For starters, exposing yourself to cold temperatures is one way. Surprised? Well, this is not all. We got a long list of surprising things that can burn a significant number of calories to help you reach your fitness goals faster.
So, sit back, and read along while you burn those extra calories.
Cold Temperature
If you are someone who hates the office AC, here is one excuse to hate it less – it can help you burn those extra calories. As per various studies, exposure to colder temperatures can increase your metabolism, helping you burn more calories. This boost in metabolism is stimulated by the burning of brown fat. A human body contains a small proportion of brown fat as against white fat. The brown fat regulates your body temperature in cold climatic conditions. It also stores energy and burns calories.
If you happen to stay in a colder climate, you can burn extra calories throughout the day.
Fidgeting
If you have a 9 to 5 job, then you know sitting at your desk all day won’t take you any closer to your fitness goals. But here’s what you can do to burn some extra calories while you are sitting– keep fidgeting.
Fidgeting might not be as effective at burning calories as exercising, but it is one of the subtle forms of exercise that can help you burn extra calories.
Fidgeting includes moving body parts, such as repeatedly kicking, bouncing a leg, tapping fingers on a table etc.
As per a study, people who fidgeted while being seated burned 5-6x more calories than those who sat still.
Chew Gum
Do you chew gum most times of the day? If you don’t, here’s one reason why you should. Chewing gum can help you burn more calories. It burns calories by exercising your facial muscles. In addition, it can help your dieting plans by keeping you from munching on unhealthy snacks. If you are struggling with a double chin, it can also tone your face and work your neck muscles to reduce a double chin.
Increase your Protein Intake
Little did you realize, protein had always been your body’s best friend. It has always been the key ingredient for all the necessary functions in the body, in addition to giving you clean and clear skin, and strong and healthy hair.
Adding another perk to the list is the fact that it can make you burn those extra calories.
Protein forces the body to work a little harder to digest as compared to carbs and fat. The process is called the thermic effect of food.
Some of the high-protein vegetarian food you can consume include eggs, lentils, quinoa, and almonds. If you are a non-vegetarian, you already got it covered with meat.
Sing on your way home
An exhausting commute can be the most off-putting part of your work life. But here’s one way to enjoy it and burn extra calories at the same time. Feel free to sing along on your way home. Turns out, singing can help you burn an extra 200 calories in a day (depending on your body weight as well)
Singing requires the use of the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm. Engaging these muscles can boost your metabolic rate and burn calories.
So, the next time you are stuck in traffic or are in the shower, feel free to sing at the top of your voice and burn calories in the process.
Sexual activities
Much to the surprise of many, sexual activities can also burn calories. As per a study conducted by the University of Montreal, men can burn off 100 extra calories and women can burn up to 60 calories during sexual activities.
Watch a scary movie
Watching a scary movie with a bunch of friends is what all of us cherish. So, here’s to give you one more reason to do the same – scary movies can burn extra calories. According to a study conducted by the University of Westminster, it was observed that watching an adrenaline-inducing movie for 90 minutes burned an average of 113 calories. In addition, the release of adrenaline can also lower appetite. However, if you binge on a bunch of unhealthy snacks while watching a movie, you would certainly burn less than what you consume. So, be mindful if you are in it for calorie burning.
The bottom line
Now that you know plenty of ways to burn extra calories throughout the day besides exercising, it would probably be easy for you to reach your fitness goals. These ways might not be as effective as a regular workout, but they contribute. And from what we know, every drop makes an ocean.
