Burning calories is an essential part of maintaining a healthy body and weight.

Many people assume that the only way to burn calories is through intense exercise routines, but truth be told, there are plenty of easy ways to burn calories throughout your day. In this article, we will be exploring 30 effective ways to burn more calories so that you can meet your fitness goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

1. Take the Stairs

We often take the elevator or escalator in order to save time or because we do not feel like climbing the stairs. However, opting for the stairs instead can prove to be an effective way to burn calories.

Walking up the stairs can burn an average of 10 calories per minute.

2. Stand Up Every Hour

Sitting down for extended periods can lead to slow metabolism and a higher risk of obesity. Taking a quick break to stand up and stretch your legs can help you burn an additional 50 calories per hour.

3. Walk or Bike to Work

For those who live close to their workplace, walking or biking to and from work can be an excellent way to burn calories. It can also help you save money on transportation expenses and is good for the environment.

Walking and biking can burn up to 300 and 500 calories, respectively.

4. Do Jumping Jacks During Commercials

Many people spend hours watching television every day. Instead of using that time to be sedentary, use every commercial break as an opportunity to do jumping jacks. Doing jumping jacks can burn an average of 100 calories in just 10 minutes.

5. Take More Steps

It is often recommended to take at least 10,000 steps per day. Increasing the amount of walking or steps you take can help you burn more calories.

Use a pedometer or fitness tracker to track your steps and aim to increase your daily goal by 500 steps every week.

6. Clean Your House

Not only does cleaning your house help maintain a tidy living space, but it can also help burn calories. Tasks like vacuuming, mopping, and sweeping can burn up to 180 calories in just 30 minutes. Plus, you get the added benefit of a clean home.

7. Play with Your Children

Playing with your children, whether it be running around, playing catch, or doing other physical activities, can help you burn calories. It can also help strengthen your bond and create lasting memories.

8. Dance to Music

Put on your favorite tunes and dance to them for 10-15 minutes. Dancing can help burn up to 80 calories in that span of time. You can also make it a fun activity with friends or family.

9. Take a Walk After Meals

Going for a quick walk after meals can help you burn extra calories. Walking can help aid digestion and burn between 100-200 calories per hour.

10. Use a Standing Desk

Standing desk options are becoming more popular in the workplace. Standing rather than sitting can help burn more calories (up to 50 per hour). It can also help improve posture and reduce back pain associated with long periods of sitting.

11. Take Stretch Breaks

Peppering your day with quick stretching exercises can help activate your muscles and help burn calories. Stretch breaks can also help to reduce stress and anxiety levels throughout the day.

12. Use a Stability Ball as a Chair

Swapping your traditional desk chair for a stability ball can help you burn calories. Sitting on a stability ball can help activate your core muscles and burn up to 50 more calories per hour compared to a regular chair.

13. Walk and Talk Meetings

If you are attending a meeting with colleagues who are in the same location, consider walking and talking rather than sitting around a conference room table. Walking meetings can help improve creativity, improve energy levels and burn more calories.

14. Fidget to Burn Calories

If you are someone who has a lot of nervous energy, put that energy to work. Even small movements like tapping your feet or fingers, chewing gum or shaking your leg can burn extra calories.

15. Clean Your Car

Much like cleaning your house, cleaning your car can be an effective way to burn calories. Tasks like washing and waxing your car can help you burn up to 200 calories in 30 minutes.

16. Take a Yoga Class

Yoga is a great way to improve flexibility, balance, and core strength. It can also help you burn calories, with more strenuous forms of yoga, such as power yoga, burning upwards of 400 calories in an hour.

17. Carry Your Groceries

Instead of using a shopping cart, consider carrying your groceries. Carrying heavy bags can help burn extra calories and provide a good workout for your arms.

18. Drink Green Tea

Green tea contains catechins which have been shown to help boost metabolism and increase calorie burning. Sipping on green tea instead of coffee or soda can help burn more calories naturally throughout the day.

19. Use Hand Weights While Walking

Take your walking routine to the next level by incorporating hand weights. Using hand weights can help burn more calories while increasing strength in your arms and upper body.

20. Take the Long Way

Instead of taking the shortest route to your destination, opt for a longer path. Walking the extra distance can help burn more calories and is a simple way to incorporate more exercise into your day.

21. Play an Active Video Game

Video games are not always an inactive pastime. Some video games require physical movement, like Nintendo Switch’s Ring Fit Adventure. These games can provide you with a fun way to burn calories and stay active.

22. Take a Swim

Swimming is a full-body workout that can help you burn calories while remaining low-impact. Depending on the intensity, swimming can help burn between 500-700 calories per hour.

23. Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT workouts involve short bursts of intense activity with brief recovery periods in between. These workouts can be effective in helping you burn calories in a shorter period of time.

24. Sit on an Exercise Ball

Swapping your desk chair for an exercise ball can help burn extra calories while also working on your core muscles. It can also help promote good posture and reduce back pain.

25. Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking water can help naturally boost your metabolism while also flushing out toxins from your body. Staying hydrated can also help you avoid overeating and consuming excess calories.

26. Do Body Weight Exercises

Bodyweight exercises, such as pushups, squats, and lunges can help you burn calories without needing any equipment. These exercises can also help you build muscle and increase your metabolism.

27. Take a Martial Arts Class

Martial arts classes can provide a full-body workout while teaching important self-defense skills. Classes like kickboxing, karate, and jiu-jitsu can help you burn between 500-700 calories per hour.

28. Do Housework with Weights

Adding weights to your housework routine can help burn more calories while also increasing your strength. Tasks like cleaning windows while holding a dumbbell or doing lunges while vacuuming can help you burn up to 150 calories in 30 minutes.

29. Increase Your Protein Intake

Eating protein-rich foods can help you build muscle, which in turn can help you burn more calories throughout the day. Foods like lean meats, eggs, and Greek yogurt are great sources of protein.

30. Practice Yoga or Meditation

Practicing yoga or meditation can help reduce stress levels, which has been linked to weight gain. Reducing stress can also help improve sleep quality, which in turn can help you burn more calories throughout the day.

An hour of yoga can burn between 200-500 calories, depending on the level of intensity.

Conclusion

Burning calories does not need to be an intensive or time-consuming process. Incorporating simple changes, like taking the stairs, walking more, or doing jumping jacks, can help you burn more calories and achieve your fitness goals.

By focusing on these small changes and utilizing our tips, you can easily burn more calories throughout your day and maintain a healthy lifestyle.