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Easy Ways to Boost Calorie BurnEasy Ways to Boost Calorie Burn

Source: MyFoodDiary.com

Easy Ways to Boost Calorie Burn

When your goal is to improve fitness and lose weight, finding new ways to squeeze in activity and boost your calorie burn may be the secret to success. The more you move and the better your nutrition, the closer you will get to reaching your goals. Start burning more calories with some of these ideas.

Workout early.

While there is no clear evidence that working out at a specific time of day burns more calories, there are ways that morning exercise may boost calorie burn. Those who work out in the morning get it done before life gets in the way — making them much more likely to exercise regularly and stick with a program. If you are having trouble committing to your workouts, start exercising in the morning.

Don't skip it, split it.

If you don’t have a full 20 to 30 minutes for exercise, don’t abandon your workout. Research continues to support the idea that splitting exercise into bouts of at least 10 minutes improves health. Take a brisk 10-minute walk at lunch and do 10 to 15 minutes of strength training before dinner.

Switch to interval training.

The body has a way of adapting to activity. As your exercise routine becomes easier, it’s important to challenge your fitness in new ways. If you regularly do moderate-intensity cardio for extended periods, interval training is a great way to add intensity and boost the calories you burn. Try high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or high-intensity circuit training (HICT) .

Eat.

Your body must be well-fueled with nutritious foods to work at its full potential. Drastically reducing your calorie intake may cause your body to preserve energy, which stalls weight loss. Eating regular meals and snacks will help your body burn calories. Tracking your food intake through MyFoodDiary will help you better understand the calories you need for fitness and weight loss.

Squeeze in a set.

The day is filled with 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there which are perfect opportunities for some quick activity. Add a set of squats or crunches while dinner is baking, do a set of biceps curls while watching television, and walk the exterior of the field while you watch your child’s game.

Get guests moving.

Parties don’t have to be sedentary affairs. When the weather is unpleasant have a competition with fitness video games. Even a game of pool or charades will get you moving more than sitting around the table. When you can take things outside plan a picnic and go for a hike, or follow up a good meal with a friendly game of flag football, frisbee, or basketball.

Add movement to sedentary activities.

The work day is full of activities that keep you seated, but you aren’t restricted to that chair. Walk in your office or in the hallway while reading a report, waiting for your next meeting, or listening to a podcast. Add some chair stretches while you read emails or watch a webinar. (See 9 Ways to Move More at the Office.)

Step it up.

The tougher your workouts, the more calories you will burn in less time, so challenge yourself. As you get stronger, add heavier weights to your strength training exercises. Take your treadmill walk or run outside where the wind and terrain can increase intensity. Add hills to your running route, and take your walk to the trail. Work to increase your speed by moving more quickly for 30 seconds and recovering for 60 seconds. Continue these intervals until you get comfortable with increasing your speed for the whole workout.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.
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