5 Ways to Burn More Calories

Burning extra calories every day has wide-ranging benefits, from helping us lose weight and burn fat to improving our overall health. Whether you’re already working out regularly or just getting started, there are some easy ways to rev your metabolism and increase your calorie burn without a big commitment. Try some or all the tips below—all approved by our transformational nutrition coach— to boost your calorie burn and feel healthier and more energetic every day.

1. Stand Up

If you sit at a desk all day, this can be detrimental to your back and waistline. Whenever you can, stand up to do some of your work. You can use a standing desk or work at your kitchen counter. By doing this, you’ll burn an extra 50 calories per hour and give your spine a chance to decompress. Standing also exerts muscles in your legs, core and back. Try it for short periods to get used to it—you’ll be hooked in no time. If it’s not an option, set an alarm every hour and force yourself to stand up and walk around for a short calorie-burning break.

2. Do Short Bursts

Expand on the tip above by squeezing in short bursts of movement throughout the day. Take breaks every hour to get up and walk around, do lunges or even get some pushups in. If you have a pet, take them for a walk or spend some time playing with them. Try to find five opportunities throughout the day to get moving and then increase this amount over time.

3. Tweak Regular Activity

Strive to increase movement wherever and whenever possible. Walk to nearby errands instead of driving. Skip the elevator and take the stairs. Park your car at the other end of the parking lot from your destination. Wear arm or ankle weights when doing chores around the house. Swap your desk chair out for a stability ball.

4. Increase Lean Protein

Increase your lean protein consumption so that you build more lean muscle. The greater our lean muscle mass, the more calories it takes to digest our food. This is called the “thermic effect” and can greatly contribute to weight loss efforts.   

5. Optimize Training

Strive to incorporate strength and resistance training into your workout routine, as both are excellent ways to build muscle and boost calorie burn. Take cardio to the next level by regularly increasing both the intensity and duration of your workouts. This will help rev your metabolism, increase calorie burn and help you avoid plateaus.

A session with a transformational nutrition coach can help you discover more tips like the above to help you create your healthiest lifestyle possible!