20 Everyday calorie burners... Who knew?

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1. Shop till you drop

Pushing a cart up and down the supermarket aisles for an hour will burn 243 calories and you'll get acquainted with all kinds of nutritious, healthful foods. Bag your own groceries, take them out to the car yourself, and return the cart to the corral, and you'll burn even more.

2. Open up

Most dentists recommend that you brush your teeth for at least two minutes. In that time, you'll burn a whopping 5.7 calories, but then again, not everything is about weight loss.

3. Make it shine

Do your tables, shelves, and knickknacks fail the white-glove test? Burn 80 calories by dusting the surfaces in your home for 30 minutes and you'll be ready the next time a drill sergeant stops by for an inspection.

4. Pucker power

It may not burn as many calories as dusting, but 30 minutes of kissing is a lot more fun. You'll burn 36 calories and probably miss a bad sitcom.

5. Wrinkle-free weight loss

Burn 76.5 calories with 30 minutes of ironing; just be careful that you don't burn the clothes.

6. Paint thinner

You know you need to paint the house, but you're lacking the motivation. Does it help to know that three hours of house painting will burn 1,026 calories? And by putting on that second coat, you might drop a whole pants size.

7. Sock it to me

You can now look forward to laundry day because 30 minutes of folding clothes will burn 72 calories. Fold enough clothes and you may soon be putting away smaller sizes.

8. Pick up trash and drop pounds

Pick up some waste and reduce your waist by spending an afternoon cleaning up the neighborhood. In four hard-worked hours, you'll burn 1,800 calories and improve your community.

9. Hit the deck

Don't cry over spilled milk or anything else, especially when 30 minutes of mopping the floor will burn 153 calories.

10. Fire the lawn boy

One hour of pushing the lawn mower around the yard burns 324 calories. Sorry, sitting on a riding mower doesn't count. Lose the bag attachment and spend another 30 minutes raking up the clippings and you'll burn another 171 calories.

11. How about Texas Lose 'Em?

Three hours of playing cards burns 351 calories. Ante up and go all in, but don't load up on high-calorie chips and dip.

12. Work up an appetite

You'll burn 74 calories during the 30 minutes you spend preparing dinner. Of course, that work will be voided by high-calorie, fat-filled meals. Instead, choose healthful meals that contain plenty of fruits and vegetables.

13. Get moving

Offer to help your pals move. What's in it for you? Every hour of moving furniture burns 504 calories.

14. Flake out

Those of you who live in warm climates have no idea what a great workout you're missing. Thirty minutes of shoveling snow burns 202.5 calories.

15. A lean sweep

Moving a broom back and forth for ten minutes will burn 28 calories and you'll have a prop that can be anything from a microphone stand to a dance partner.

16. Suck it up

You know the rug needs it, but you may not know that 20 minutes of vacuuming will burn 56 calories.

17. Suds it up

Break out the bucket and hose -- a mere 20 minutes of washing the car will burn 102 calories.

18. Count calories instead of sheep

Even when you're sleeping you're burning calories. Eight hours of good shut-eye will erase 360 calories.

19. Dig the benefits

Two hours of gardening will burn 648+calories, and you'll grow some nice healthful veggies at the same time.

20. Click to fit?

Even watching TV is worth something. One hour spent in front of the tube burns 72 calories. Of course, if you dusted at the same time...

Replies

  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
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    This is called living everyday life and naturally burning calories. Vast majority of these seem to include BMR as well, or are just outright natural BMR expenditure. That 243 calories from shopping is prob only 70-110 tops once you subtract your BMR from the equation.

    Or for certain people, believing this is living hopelessly in denial about how exercise works...
  • aljohnson2
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    I would hope that nobody actually counts these as their daily exercise routines to burn calories. I just thought this was interesting.
  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
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    I would hope that nobody actually counts these as their daily exercise routines to burn calories. I just thought this was interesting.
    it's interesting, but very misleading. Lets take #11, 3 hours of texas hold em burns 351 calories. Ok, lets take that same person, and measure how much they burn in 3 hours sitting in a chain doing absolutely nothing. Bet you it's 351 calories. So it's outright dishonest to say that it's texas hold em thats burning the calories.. it's instead your body simply being alive....
  • felcandy
    felcandy Posts: 228 Member
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    I think the "moving furniture" one is legit, but only if youre actually lifting furniture and heavy boxes for a full hour. some of that is lemonade time!!!!

    I also think the deep cleaning should be counted as exercise unless you do it on an everyday basis. if you do a day of spring cleaning, it would totally be counted in my book! (dont give up on your normal exercise routine though)

    of course, what do i know, im just starting out hahaha
  • leeanneowens
    leeanneowens Posts: 319 Member
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    I enjoyed reading the post.
  • SoonerVet
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    Most people wouldn't count these as exercise. But it's still fun to know! Thanks for sharing. Hopefully people will now be more motivated to paint their own house! I know my muscles were super sore after painting for 2 and a 1/2 days straight
  • mauibound2
    mauibound2 Posts: 46 Member
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    Bump even though I would never count these it is fun to share with other friends LOL
  • pamcuster
    pamcuster Posts: 770 Member
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    Am I the only one wondering if it's really possible to kiss for 30 minutes straight? :O

    I'm not against giving it a try, though! Honey will be happy! :)

    I love this forum!
  • reneapasquarelli
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    True, I enjoy gardening but its hard core, sweat my butt off on the yard. I dont do it every day but when i do i feel like i was just at the gym for 2 hours of hard core strenthening:happy:
  • arrexu
    arrexu Posts: 10 Member
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    I believe the grocery shopping one... especially if your local grocery store likes to move items around on a regular basis so you spend an extra 20 minutes searching for something and deftly maneuvering your cart around the slower people. XD
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
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    Am I the only one wondering if it's really possible to kiss for 30 minutes straight? :O

    I'm not against giving it a try, though! Honey will be happy! :)

    I love this forum!
    When you are not married it is. That ring is the kiss killer.
  • pamcuster
    pamcuster Posts: 770 Member
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    Am I the only one wondering if it's really possible to kiss for 30 minutes straight? :O

    I'm not against giving it a try, though! Honey will be happy! :)

    I love this forum!
    When you are not married it is. That ring is the kiss killer.

    Heavens, what a gloomy outlook! I've had a ring for nearly 25 years, and the kissing has NEVER been better! I'm just going to try to extend it a little after reading this! <3
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    This is called living everyday life and naturally burning calories. Vast majority of these seem to include BMR as well, or are just outright natural BMR expenditure. That 243 calories from shopping is prob only 70-110 tops once you subtract your BMR from the equation.

    Or for certain people, believing this is living hopelessly in denial about how exercise works...

    Actually, none of these things are included in BMR. They can be included in TDEE as daily activities, but not BMR.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Options
    Am I the only one wondering if it's really possible to kiss for 30 minutes straight? :O

    I'm not against giving it a try, though! Honey will be happy! :)

    I love this forum!
    When you are not married it is. That ring is the kiss killer.

    Heavens, what a gloomy outlook! I've had a ring for nearly 25 years, and the kissing has NEVER been better! I'm just going to try to extend it a little after reading this! <3

    Agreed! I've been married 18 years and the kissing is better than ever. And we still hold hands and cuddle. If we kiss for more than a few minutes, though, it will lead to other calorie burning activities. :wink:
  • donnamariewilliams
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    bump
  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
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    This is called living everyday life and naturally burning calories. Vast majority of these seem to include BMR as well, or are just outright natural BMR expenditure. That 243 calories from shopping is prob only 70-110 tops once you subtract your BMR from the equation.

    Or for certain people, believing this is living hopelessly in denial about how exercise works...

    Actually, none of these things are included in BMR. They can be included in TDEE as daily activities, but not BMR.
    as I said. total denial.

    hint. BMR is included in TDEE.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    I burned 12 calories reading this post.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
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    reread