8 Easy Ways To Burn Calories Without Trying

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Between work, kids, chores and obviously doomscrolling, finding time to exercise can feel impossible.

But what if you didn’t need extra time at all? I tried slipping small, sneaky bursts of movement into my daily routine and was able to boost my fitness without setting foot in a gym. And even if you are one of those superwomen who work out at 4 a.m., these spurts of fitness will add even more to your exercise journey.

Calf raises

This is one of my favorites because it’s so incredibly easy and effective. While I brush my teeth, I do slow calf raises, squeezing at the top for an extra burn. For an even bigger effect, brush your teeth while standing on the edge of a step, a dumbbell or anything slightly off the floor, and you’ll have a greater range of motion. Do this twice a day (morning and night while brushing), and you’ll feel the results stat.

Pacing

Every time I pick up the phone, I pace. On purpose. If you add up all the minutes you’re on the phone (for social purposes, not for work), you’ll probably find yourself with at least an hour of time to pace. Pacing for an hour will burn 200 to 400 calories. Take your pace to a fast walk (4 to 5 miles per hour), and you’ll burn 370 calories.

Change floors

I work from home, and while we do have a bathroom on both house levels, I make myself take the stairs to the furthest spot. Even if you’re working from an office, you should be able to walk either one flight down or one flight up to use the bathroom, and these stair drills add up very quickly.

Add a weighted vest

I recently started wearing a 20-pound weighted vest when I walk my dog, or even when I wander around the mall. At first, it was uncomfortable, I’m not going to lie. But after about a week of forcing myself to pop on the vest, my body adjusted. Now, a few months in, I don’t even notice the weighted vest as I walk — but my muscles surely do. I feel muscles I didn’t even know existed. Bonus: My posture has improved.

Squats

I subscribe to every single streaming service, but I make sure to sign up for the least expensive version so I’m bombarded with commercials. During the commercials, I force myself to hop off the couch and do slow squats. During each commercial, I vary the speed of the squats, sometimes going three down, one up; reversing this; and doing squat pulses.

Stairs

A few years ago, I made a New Year’s resolution to never take the escalator. Sure, I will still take an elevator, especially if I have a long way to go - but whenever I see an escalator, I will take the stairs. Most of the time, it’s just a flight up and I barely notice. But my body does, and my legs are getting stronger.

A coffee walk

I’ve been scheduling coffee walks with friends, and no one has minded at all. When someone suggests meeting for coffee, I ask them if they’d mind grabbing the coffee to go and taking a walk. Usually, the walks are 30-40 minutes, and I’d recommend iced drinks instead of hot ones, as they are easier to sip on the go. Add a weighted vest, and this is a great midday exercise.

Choose an undesirable parking spot

No longer do I pride myself on finding the spot closest to where I need to be. Instead, I search for a spot all the way across the garage, or a few streets down from the restaurant. I barely notice the extra steps I’m taking, but they’ve bumped up my step count significantly.

What is YOUR fitness routine? Let us know in the comments below.