How to burn calories

clarklessk8 · February 2016

Is there a way to burn calories without actually exercising?

Hornsby · February 2016

You burn calories just being alive

sunnybeaches105 · February 2016

You could build plenty of muscle mass and that would burn calories while you're not exercising . . . but that takes exercise. Lipo? Um, is this a trick question?

williams969 · February 2016

Hornsby wrote: »

You burn calories just being alive

This. But if you're wanting to burn more, you're going to have to move more. I was able to bump myself from sedentary to lightly active lifestyle level simply by using my car less and my feet more.

Examples: I walk my kids to their bus stops instead of driving (total of 3 miles daily for the 4 round trips), and I walk daily to the corner store for daily grocery needs (another mile there).

Doesn't feel like exercise, but I burn an extra 200-300 cals a day doing these little walks.

Hfeff · February 2016

There are everyday activities that burn calories. I believe this is what you mean. Here is one link but there are many out there. http://calorielab.com/burned/?mo=se&gr=05&ti=home+activities&q&wt=150&un=lb&kg=68

emmycantbemeeko · February 2016

What do you mean by "without exercising?"

You burn most of your calories (unless you are an unusually physically active person) through the basic functions of your body staying alive- the calories you would burn even if you laid in bed all day and didn't move a muscle. You can marginally increase this amount by gaining muscle, but that requires, of course, exercise in the form of lifting heavy objects and putting them back down.

You burn the rest of your calories by moving your body around through the world. Although most people think of exercise as only formal, intentional fitness activities, any increase in moving your body burns more calories. Walking is excellent exercise, and very sustainable for most people. Adding a few walks around the block, parking your car at the far end of the parking lot or skipping the car altogether for a walk to run errands are all very practical ways to increase your daily calorie burn. If I'm peckish and out of calories at the end of the day, I'll usually go for a walk around my neighborhood so I can "afford" the calories and have a cookie or an orange or something.

Moving more in your daily life is good too- getting up and down from the floor without assistance, taking the stairs, lifting and carrying children/objects instead of pushing them in a buggy or cart, all burn calories.

The only thing I would caution is to not overestimate your calorie burn from daily activities and out-eat it. Your basic daily activity level is already taken in to account when you set your MFP goal, and if you log every minute of vacuuming/carrying groceries as "exercise" on top of that, it's likely you'll be "double-dipping."

But any amount you can move your body is burning more calories than not moving your body.