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How To Burn More Calories In 2022

[Simple Tips To Implement Today]

By: Zack Mathews

When you think about learning how to burn more calories, your first thought might be to increase the intensity on your spin bike, go for an extra run each night, or do HIIT workout after HIIT workout until you feel like you are going to break.

Here's the good news:

Learning how to burn more calories is as simple as changing everyday behaviors you already do.  Instead of beating yourself to the ground with your workouts, use these tips that will make you move more throughout the day, which will in turn, burn more calories.

Use The Bathroom Upstairs Instead Of Downstairs (& Vice Versa)

It’s a commercial break from Game of Thrones.  Oh wait, GoT doesn’t have commercials. Ok, it’s a commercial break from let’s say Grey’s Anatomy.  Is it just me or are you surprised that show is still on?

Anyways, you need to use the restroom. 

Skip using the bathroom that it’s the hallway and make the journey upstairs to use the bathroom.  Do that every single time you need to go pee.

Live in a one story house? 

Use the toilet that’s the furthest away from you.  Unless it’s 2am, do what you gotta do.

Park At The Back Of Any Parking Lot

My 6th grade P.E. teacher taught me this one.

Whether it’s parking for work or just so you can go grab something quick from the grocery store, park in the very back and make the walk knowing you are bettering yourself.

It might seem like a chore at first, but those 3-5 minute walks back and forth can really add up. 

Another advantage of parking near the back?

There are more spots available, decreasing the chance your car gets dinged by someone next to you.

Walk The Dog

healthy habits to weight loss - walking dog

This is a double habit win. 

You are helping yourself becoming healthier and you are making your dog happy by taking them out.

I don’t care if you have a big yard for your animals to run around in, they love to go out and go for a walk with you.

It doesn’t have to be an hour long walk, just take 10 -15 minutes a day to get some fresh air and enjoy the time with your kids…aka pets.

Walk With Your Partner

Another double habit win. 

Go take a walk or hike with your significant other. 

People often forget that just moving IS burning calories.  So wake up early, go grab some coffee, and go walk around a park or take a leisurely hike nearby. 

It does wonders for your health and can help build your relationship.

Don't have a significant other?

Walk with a friend, family member, or put on your favorite podcast and go walk by yourself.

Take Multiple Trips Bringing In The Groceries

We all want to feel like the incredible hulk and bring all the bags in at once.  I remember dreading having to make two trips when I was younger. 

Turn that one trip into 3 - 4 by only taking one bag in each hand.

What’s the other benefit of this?

Your bread won’t get smashed.

Squat While Your Coffee Brews

healthy habits to lose weight - coffee brew

With the rise of people using Keurigs to make their coffee in the morning, it presents the perfect opportunity to start moving.  During the 30 seconds that the Keurig will make your beautiful morning cup of Joe, perform body weight squats.

It’s not meant to make you sore or feel like you just did a huge workout, but  10 - 15 squats every day starts to add up at the end of the week.

Pushups During Commercials

This one is a lot harder now because of Netflix and streaming services, but most shows will have some sort of commercial or ad break.

Instead of watching some commercial about a new drug that has 15 kajillion side effects, take that time to perform 3 - 5 pushups. 

If you can’t do a pushup, use your couch or counter top to elevate your body.  A show typically has 4 - 5 commercial breaks so there is no reason why you can’t do 12 - 25 pushups in that hour time span.


Now just like before, this isn’t mean to be a workout.  If you did 25 pushups straight, yeah you would be exhausted, but just knock out 3-5 each time you do it.

Office Bathroom Breaks

This is building off  habit #1 with using a bathroom far from you. 

Just because you are at the office, doesn’t mean you should use the bathroom right next to your desk. 

Find the bathroom furthest away from you on your floor and walk over and use it anytime you need to go.

Maybe say hi to some people you normally don't see while you're at it!

Get Up And Move At Work

If you have an office job that requires extended sitting, set a timer to go off every 57 minutes of your shift. 

Get up those last 3 minutes, stretch your legs, make a quick trip around the office, grab some water if you need to, and then get back to work.

We all come from hunters and gatherers so we aren't meant to just be sitting.  Do you think our ancestors sat for 8 straight hours?

No way! They were out and about doing things to provide for the tribe.

Don’t let yourself sit all the way to lunch, and then all the way to the end of your shift.

Even if you only got up 5 times and walked, that’s 15 minutes of movement that you wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

Take The Stairs Whenever Possible

healthy habits to lose weight - take the stairs

Ok, maybe not WHENEVER possible. 

If you are on the 20th floor of a hotel, I don’t expect you to be using the stairs. 

But if you live in an apartment building, or work in a multilevel business building, take the stairs to get up that 2-3 flights everyday. 

It might be hard at first, but your endurance will get better and before you know it, you’ll be asking your boss for a promotion so you can go to the higher floor!

Have A Dance Party

healthy habits to lose weight - dance

Have kids? Or just love dancing?

Turn your favorite artist on and jump around your living room for 10 minutes.  It will get the blood flowing and your kids will love it. 

If you don’t have kids, just have fun and dance.

Take Recycle Out One Piece At A Time

Far too often we let our recycle build up. 

A few soda cans, a gallon of milk, some Amazon boxes. 

Don’t let these items build up and instead build a habit of taking it out immediately.  A couple trips each day isn’t going to hurt you and it will help keep your house cleaner.

And the best part is you are saving the environment one piece at a time!

The Dot Experiment

Get a couple of sticker dots and put 3-4 in random areas around your house, somewhat out of sight but still visual. 

Categorize each color sticker to a specific exercise and when you see that sticker, you have to perform the exercise.

For example, if you see the red dot on the side of the toilet, you have to do 2 squats.  Something simple and quick but can add up at the end of the day.

Pair A Bad Habit With Something Good

Have a bad habit you can’t see to get rid of?

Why not pair it with some sort of movement?

If you smoke cigarettes, make a commitment that before or after every cig, you will do 5 pushups. 

Maybe you love to eat candy.  Anytime you eat a piece of candy, do 5 squats. 

Neither of these examples are going to equate to what the bad habit is, but if you are going to have bad habits, you might as well do something your body will benefit from as well.

How To Burn More Calories Summary

how to burn more calories good actions produce good results

There you have it!

14 ways on how to burn more calories throughout the day.

Try them out.  See what works for you.  There's no downside by implementing any of these.

If you feel like the habit is sticking, keep doing it.

If you struggle with a specific one, try another!

Whichever one’s you choose, try you best to be consistent.  There is no set number of days it takes a habit to form.

Instead it is formed by repetition of the habit.  So do these as often as you can and the habit will stick.

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