How to Easily Burn More Calories and Lose More Weight

1. Just park the car. When you go to the grocery store-or whatever your destination may be-park a little farther away from the door rather than driving around in circles trying to find a spot a little closer to the door. You'd be amazed at the extra calories you'll burn by taking those few extra steps.

2. Walking lunch breaks. When lunch time rolls around, allow time for a couple of laps around the parking lot. Start keeping a pair of tennis shoes in your vehicle and after you eat your lunch, throw on your shoes for a quick couple of laps around the parking lot. Walking is a great way to burn calories quickly. Extra tip: Walk in spurts. Speed walk for 2 minutes, and then walk at a moderate pace for 2 minutes. Alternate until you have about 5 minutes left of your lunch break for an easy cool-down. Walking at 3 mph (20min/mile) will burn 159 calories in 30 minutes.

3. Be a kid. 30 minutes of playing vigorously with the kids-your own, your nieces and nephews, the neighbor's....whomever-will help you burn 242 calories. Now that's worth running around the yard and playing tag for a little while, right?

4. Get some sleep. Sleeping burns 43 calories per half hour, so try to get in a full 7 to 8 hours every night. Some people only get a few hours of sleep every night-you know who you are-and it's not very healthy. You awake in the morning tired and dragging behind for the whole day. A good night's sleep will burn calories as well as give you the energy to get into a more active schedule-which will, in turn, burn more calories. Sleeping is good in moderation!

5. Clean the house. Okay, everyone hates to clean, but here's the realization on how many calories you can burn in 30 minutes by cleaning:

Vacuuming: 169 calories per 30 minutes

Making the Bed: 97 calories per 30 minutes

Cleaning house (general cleaning): 145 calories per 30 minutes

Heavy Cleaning (Scrubbing floors, cleaning windows): 145 calories per 30 minutes

Moving household furniture: 290 calories per 30 minutes

Makes you want to go clean something, huh?

6. Stand up. When you're talking on the phone, do you lounge in the chair or lay on the couch? Try walking around the house while you're chatting away. Surprisingly, you'll burn about 58 calories by standing while you're on the phone rather than sitting!

7. Take the stairs. Whether you're going to the mall or heading to your third floor office, taking the stairs will help you burn more calories without too much extra effort. It may take 15 extra seconds to get where you're going, but it's worth the extra calories you will burn by not taking the elevator. Plus, you'll be revved up for whatever is sitting on your desk when you get there.

8. Stand in line. Standing in line at the store will burn 58 calories for 30 minutes. So, skip the drive thru at Walgreen's and go inside. You may not stand there for 30 minutes, but you'll burn more by walking inside than hitting the drive thru. Also, standing to do your filing or light office work will burn 111 calories for 30 minutes. So stand, rather than sit, when you have monotonous work to do-at least you'll be accomplishing something by burning a few extra calories.

9. Cut the grass. Okay, it has to be done. Save money by not paying someone else to do it and rather than using a riding lawn mower, use a push mower to burn about 266 calories every half hour that you are out there. Just cutting the grass for 30 minutes can burn off the calories you took in eating that chocolate cupcake for snack time!

10. Wash your own car. Instead of going to the automatic car wash or paying the neighborhood kids to wash your car, do it yourself. Two great benefits:

1. You'll burn 145 calories in 30 minutes of washing your car by hand.

2. You'll save money since you don't have to pay those kids (especially since you know they're going to miss the bird poo on the top of your car anyway!)

Also, weeding your garden and trimming your bushes and trees will each help you burn about 210 calories per 30 minutes of work. And, you're making your yard look better than the Jones'.

Burning extra calories every day adds up and, with a balanced meal plan and exercise regimen, it will help you to lose weight. Every weight loss plan should be discussed with a doctor before it is begun, and should include healthy eating habits as well as a set schedule for exercise. Adding these tips for burning a few extra calories during your normal routine will help to lose even more weight-especially if you've hit that weight plateau that a lot of people do. Don't lose hope...you have the power to make your life what you wish it would be!

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All calorie counts are referred from The Fitness Jumpsite, located at: http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/index.html. The calorie counts are based on a 150 pound person with duration times of 30 minutes for each activity. You may change the weight and times to fit your personal needs upon visiting the web site. Please do visit this wonderfully informative web site for more information!

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