Do Your Home Work
The scenario: A festive cookie exchange at the office causes you to miss your yoga class, company’s coming tonight, and the house is a mess.
Lucky you! “Housework is the best way to fit in a workout without even knowing it,” says Shannon Griffiths, group fitness director for Lakeshore Athletic Club in Boulder, Colo. Scrubbing, sweeping, vacuuming … they all burn calories.
Even cooking fires up the calorie furnace, says Griffiths, especially if you’re moving around the kitchen. So put on perky music and boogie down while you bake.
Shop Until You Drop – Pounds!
“I like to use shopping as exercise, too,” says Griffiths, who maintains that the best thing about going to the mall is all the walking. “That translates into a calorie burn.”
To maximize that burn, Griffith recommends carrying your own holiday packages, then unloading them after every stop.
“If you’re going to buy something at 10 different shops, go out to your car between each store,” Griffiths says.
To encourage yourself to make those multiple trips to the parking lot or to take the mall stairs instead of elevators, Griffiths recommends wearing a pedometer.
“A pedometer really encourages you to … get moving,” she says. “You have to go shopping, so you might as well get a workout as you’re doing it!”
Keep your pace brisk and you can burn 250-300 calories an hour.
Make Snow Your Ally
When it’s snowing, it’s time to bundle up and enjoy the free gym outside.