It is well known that in order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. The most effective ways to achieve this is to eat the right foods and engage in intense workout sessions.
However, with the busy lives people live nowadays, taking the time to prepare highly nutritious meals and going for a run in the park often seem impossible. They get so caught up with work and their personal lives that they usually feel tired and not in the mood to work out and be a step closer to their ideal weight.
The good news is there are many simple ways you can get rid of those pesky calories without having to hit the gym. All of these mainly include ordinary activities which you can do literally anywhere and anytime without breaking a sweat.
Here is a brief list of five simple ways to burn extra calories.
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Speed up your metabolism with vitamins
If your metabolism feels sluggish as a result of a health issue, poor diet or insufficient exercise, then you should consider taking vitamins and supplements to speed it up. The basic rule of thumb is the faster your metabolism is, the more calories you will burn at rest and during activity.
Vitamins and minerals that are essential for a fully functioning metabolism include all B vitamins, vitamin D, iron and magnesium. If you need more advice on which supplements you need to take, or want to know why a certain supplement is important for your health, you can turn to online forums that specialize in weight loss or weight loss surgery such as Bariatric Pal to support you in your journey.
Choose your foods wisely
Despite contrary belief, eating can actually help you burn more calories through chewing, digesting and storing food. Scientists call this the thermic effect of food, or commonly known as TEF.
But, in order to really make it all worth it, you should make better food choices and opt for foods that provide vital macro and micronutrients to help your body feel and look better as well as make you feel full and satisfied. Some of these include protein, which helps your body burn calories by building muscle, and foods that are full of fiber to relieve indigestion and promote good digestive health.
Do simple exercises
Although engaging in intense workout sessions can help you burn calories, there are plenty of other exercises you can do to help you achieve the same result. Some of these simple, no-sweat activities include walking, swimming, taking the stairs, biking and even stretching.
For example, walking is one of the best low-impact aerobic exercises which allow people to expend energy and burn calories. You can do it on your way to work, in the park along with your dog or even in place while cooking dinner, watching TV or folding laundry.
Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated can also help you burn more calories. The best way to do that is to drink plenty of water as water serves as a natural appetite suppressant that helps decrease feeding while speeding up the metabolism at the same time.
However, the most common question people ask is how much water should they drink to burn off calories?
Many health authorities typically recommend drinking eight glasses of water per day, or that is two liters. But, this number is completely random as the water requirements will mainly depend on the individual’s needs.
Get a good night’s sleep
You may be surprised, but getting a good night’s sleep can also help you get rid of those pesky calories. In fact, the human body burns the most calories during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep which is when people use the most glucose and when the brain is the most active. Therefore, it is important that you get qualitative and quantitative sleep every night.
Some helpful things you can do to burn more calories while you sleep include eating healthy and small meals for dinner, stopping drinking alcohol three hours before bed and working out late at night.
Final thoughts
Burning calories is essential for a variety of things including ensuring your blood vessels stay healthier and lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases, protecting you from severe illnesses and conditions such as diabetes, and improving your mood.
While most individuals choose to burn calories by engaging in intense workout sessions and eating well, there are plenty of other helpful ways you can get rid of extra calories without breaking a sweat.
If you want to learn more about them, refer back to our post and read about the best simple activities that can help you burn calories.