If you're out and about during your day, you're burning more caloriesthan you probably realise. "Engaging in regular incidental activities that use an extra 30-50 calories per hour can burn 360 to 600 extra calories over a 12 hour day – as much as a gym workout," says Allan Borushek, dietitian and author of Allan Borushek's Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter. "Just standing instead of sitting can burn an extra 60 calories per hour."
Here are 10 simple ways to burn calories as you go about your daily life.
1. Take the stairs
If you have the choice of taking the lift or stairs, go for the latter. Spending five minutes a day walking up stairs burns 227 calories in a week. Crank it up to a jog and you'll smash 425 calories, or the equivalent of two slices of ham and pineapple pizza.
2. Clean the house
Twenty minutes of vigorous vacuuming can burn up to 100 calories, according to nutritionist and personal trainer Catherine Kladakis. "Put some oomph into your housework by turning up the music," she suggests.
3. Stand proud
Here's some good news for people on their feet all day: you're burning an extra 50 to 60 calories each hour than your sedentary friends. "It's probably the easiest incidental exercise to engage in – at home when watching TV or at the office when on the phone or in meetings," Borushek says.
4. Shake your booty
Crank the tunes and get grooving – dancing around your lounge room for 20 minutes will burn the same calories as a 20 gram Kit Kat.
5. Walk to work
Walking is one of the easiest and simplest ways to fit exercises into your day. Replace your car with your sneakers and you'll burn three or four calories a minute. Do that for 45 minutes and you've earned yourself a regular low-fat ice-cream.
6. Wash your car
By washing the car yourself, not only are you saving money, but you'll burn around 105 calories over 30 minutes, which is the same as a chocolate muesli bar.
7. Unleash your inner child
The next time you take your kids to the park, join in the fun. Chasing after your little ones burns about 180 calories in 30 minutes. "That's the equivalent of a Cadbury Flake chocolate bar," Kladakis says.
8. Skip the ads
"Get up during TV commercials and skip until your show starts again," Kladakis recommends. "You will burn about 113 calories in the ad breaks of a one hour show." That puts two tubs of chocolate mousse up your sleeve.
9. Break the cycle
Next time you need to pick up something from the local shops, get on your bike. A 10-minute cycling trip there and back, three times a week, burns around 408 calories.
10. Mow the lawns
Getting out into the garden burns considerable calories too. By mowing the lawn for 25 minutes and you'll burn 187 calories. Do that twice a month and you've got a ticket for a guilt-free apple-pie.
*All figures (including calories burned and duration of activity) are calculated based on the person's weight of 68kg.
