15 Ridiculously Easy Ways to Lose Weight
The biggest health hazard you're up against just might be a chair and all the time you spend sitting in it. Desk jobs, long commutes, too much TV time--all that inactivity our daily routines dictate--is about as bad for us and as fattening as a steady diet of bacon and bread. And despite what you might think, slipping on walking shoes for daily sweat sessions alone isn't enough to combat the slow slide toward sickness. According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, women who sat for more than 6 hours each day had a 37% increased risk of premature death, compared with women who sat for less than 3--regardless of how often they hopped on a treadmill.
But you don't have to go so far as to torch your couch. James A. Levine, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN has developed a program called NEAT (nonexercise activity thermogenesis) to combat America's sitting epidemic. If you rethink all your habits and move more throughout the day, you can offset the danger of all the sitting you can't avoid. Bonus: You can burn up to 1,000 calories a day, without ever setting foot in the gym. Here are easy ways to add more movement to your day and go from a chubby couch potato to a muffin-top-blasting moving maniac.
No-Sweat At-Home Workouts
Lose Weight At Home
Preset the timer on your TV to turn off after an hour to remind you to do something more active.
Instead of sitting and reading, listen to books on tape as you walk, clean, or garden.
When tidying up, put things away in multiple small trips rather than one big haul.
Stand while styling your hair and putting on makeup.
Leave your cell phone in one location, so when you need it, you must go to it.
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Burn Calories At Work
Stand while waiting for a train on your commute.
Get rid of your garbage can; walk trash to the kitchen bin.
Set your computer alarm to ring hourly--stand up for 1 to 5 minutes each time it goes off.
Hover just above your chair in a squat position for 15 seconds every hour.
Drink lots of water throughout your day. You'll stand up for refills and trips to the bathroom.
If you're meeting a client for drinks, suggest standing at the bar instead of sitting at a table.
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Get Fit Running Errands
If you're buying only a few items at the grocery store, skip the cart and carry a basket.
Get coffee with friends "to go"--walk as you talk and sip.
Plan active dates with your hubby, such as bowling or golfing, instead of dinner and a movie.
Get your book group to slip on sneaks and chat on the move.
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TELL US: What do you do to burn more calories throughout the day?
-By Jessica Cassity, Prevention
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