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Easy Tricks to Burn More Calories and Stay Healthy
Most people who sit for a living realize they should move more. Since movement is vital for fitness, it follows that immobility can lead to the opposite — disease. When you sit all day, calories don’t get burned, important muscles don’t get worked, and slumped posture throws the body out of alignment, leading to the grim modern condition known as “death by sitting.”
It’s one thing to realize the problem of immobility, but quite another to solve it. Busy days in the office might have you chained to your desk for hours — at least, that’s how it seems. In reality, there are lots of little ways to squeeze in more movement, and all those little bursts of activity can add up to significant health gains.
Pick up the Pace
It’s rare that you go through an entire day without walking at all. So, when you are on your way to a meeting, the printer across the office, or your favorite lunch spot, turn that stroll into a brisk walk.
Taking shorter, faster steps will automatically up your pace — and your calorie expenditure. You may never get up into the fat burning zone with these small walking breaks, but every step you take can bring more tone to your muscles and health to your heart when you move with purpose.
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Drink More Water
Water is extremely important for whole-body health, but it can also be a fantastic tool for energy and weight loss in a couple of ways.
When you commit to drinking eight glasses of water each day, you will have to get up and make your way to the fridge or cooler to refill your glass. That is, as long as you don’t keep a big water bottle at your desk.
Water is also a much better choice than soda or juice, and if you have a bit of a coffee habit, it will balance out the diuretic effect and keep you happily hydrated.
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Stand up While Talking
Walking is great, but standing is your next best option. More and more offices are outfitting their workstations with standing desks, but even if your workplace hasn’t gone this route, there are ways to get more time on your feet.
If you take phone calls throughout the day, make it a habit to stand while you’re speaking. After all, you don’t need to sit to talk, and you aren’t obliged to settle into the same position as the person on the other end of the line.
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Talk Face-To-Face
Email has become the standard line of communication in the office, and while it’s handy, it’s not necessarily healthy. Instead, getting up and walking to your colleague’s desk for a face-to-face chat will work more steps into your day — and it brings a few other benefits, too.
Carrying out a conversation in person, with all the tones and gestures involved, minimizes the possibility of confusion or misunderstanding. It also offers an opportunity to have a laugh, show initiative, and strengthen workplace relationships.
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Suggest Walking Meetings
Recent studies have supported what philosophers have known for ages: walking encourages creative thinking. Add in the energizing, calorie-burning element, and you have a recipe for successful brainstorming meetings.
If your colleagues are on board with the walking meeting idea, take some steps to prepare. Map out a pleasant route without many distractions, and find a couple of varying lengths to suggest depending on the time allotted.
Try not to make it an exercise session — keep the pace light and comfortable, and make use of wide pathways or sidewalks to allow everyone space to be included in the conversation.
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Take the Stairs
You’ve probably heard this a million times, but taking the stairs instead of the elevator can be one of the most fruitful changes you make to your work routine.
Choosing the stairs when you’re feeling glum and groggy on a Monday morning can be a lofty goal, but think of it this way: moving against gravity is probably the quickest way to get your blood pumping and metabolism going, plus you can burn between 50 and 100 extra calories a day for each set you walk up.
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Replace Your Meal With Several Snacks
The midday meal is an important one — it breaks up a long work day and offers a moment of peace and relaxation. However, consider breaking down your lunch into a handful of small but satisfying meals that you can spread throughout the day.
Then, make sure you keep them all in the fridge or break room. Getting up to grab a snack now and then is a good excuse to get away from your desk, and a good way to add a bit of walking to your day.
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Choose Public Transit for Your Commute
You may be giving up a bit of privacy, but that’s a small price to pay for the economic and exercise gains that come with taking public transit to work.
Simply walking to the bus stop or train station, standing while you wait for the train, and doing the same at the end of the day can have a measurable impact on weight loss. One study found people who made the switch from car to public transport lost an average of six pounds within a year and a half.
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to enjoy the activity and derive fulfilment from it. Lunchtime walks or jogs can be tallied as workouts, which can go far in a fitness plan, but smaller actions can become pleasant habits rather than chores.
When you’re at home, switch on some music and dance around a bit while you get dinner ready, or make this year the year that you get a great garden growing. You have enough work to do — let exercise be a well-deserved treat for your body and mind.
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