5 Sneaky Ways You Can Burn Calories Every Day
When you think about burning calories, do you immediately think of your morning workout routine or feel embarrassed you’ve been MIA from the gym? It’s no secret that a cardio session is the best way to burn calories, but guess what? You can burn more calories just by doing more of what you already do every day. Here are five surprising ways you can burn more calories without stepping inside a gym.
1. Laugh a lot.
And that’s no joke. A serious laugh sesh, either with your friends or solo, can not only lighten the mood, but can also burn a surprising amount of calories. Researchers from Vanderbilt University found that 10 to 15 minutes of laughing can burn up to 40 calories. That’s pretty significant considering all you have to do is…well, laugh.
2. Get cooking.
Researchers at Harvard University found that on average, 30 minutes of cooking can help you burn up to 111 calories. Chop, dice and sautée away knowing that you’re making yourself a homemade meal and you’re getting a mini-workout in the process.
3. Watch a scary movie (no, seriously).
You can get your heart pumping in many ways, but who knew that watching a horror film could rev your energy? As it happens, you can burn an average of 113 calories for every 90 minutes of watching, according to a study from the University of Westminster.
4. Do your damn laundry.
Is your apartment a mess? It’s time to clean up for the sake of burning some cals. You can burn up to 170 calories for every hour you complete basic housework, like doing a full load of laundry or scrubbing your tub. We knew there was a good reason to clean the bathroom today.
5. Drink lots of ice cold water.
You probably (hopefully?!) already know that drinking water is a good thing. But ice cold water can actually help you burn calories. In an interview with NBC New York, weight loss coach Janice Taylor says for every glass of ice cold water that you drink quickly, you can burn up to 25 calories. That means your eight glasses a day could burn up to 200 calories.