Lifestyle

8 Ways To Burn Calories Without Going To The Gym

by Karena Dawn and Katrina Scott
Universal Studios

When your day is filled with errands and what seems like a never-ending to-do list, the thought of having to get a workout in can be really overwhelming.

But in actuality, your day is filled with endless opportunities to sculpt your bod and burn extra calories.

When you can't seem to make it to the gym, these added little bonuses will assist your workout routine and give you even better results, faster!

Try out a few – or all – of the below tips to add in some sneaky toning throughout your busiest of days:

1. Slim your waistline by standing.

Whenever you have the choice, stand instead of sit.

On average, standing burns an extra 20 calories per hour (based on a 130-pound woman). Standing an extra three hours per day equates to six pounds lost in one year.

All of that just from standing!

It may not sound like much, but consider how easy it could be to burn some extra calories by standing during class, work meetings, Netflix binging, reading a book, scrolling through your Instagram feed, eating lunch… the list goes on and on.

2. Sculpt your upper body by lending a hand.

See someone struggling with a heavy box or a pile of textbooks? Offer to help them out.

Not only are you getting some good karma for the future, but you'll also tone your body in the process.

Flex your real-life muscles by assisting someone who could use the help.

3. Sneak in a workout at your desk.

Keep a set of resistance bands at your desk or in your purse and whip them out once an hour for a quick, five-minute sweat sesh.

Each hour, work a different part of your body: triceps, biceps, quads, hamstrings, booty, shoulders, back or core. You can also try out the Daily Moves on ToneItUp.com.

By the end of the day, you'll have completed an entire 40-minute, total body workout without even entering a gym.

4. Plan walking dates.

Meeting up with a friend or a date? Grab a coffee (better make it a healthy one) and take a stroll outside.

Walking briskly for 10 minutes burns an average of 50 calories. Being active with a pal or a new flame can cause you to lose track of time while chatting and ultimately walk longer than you planned.

5. Playtime toning.

Get competitive with yourself!

For every email you receive, do one burpee. Every time you look at the clock, do five squats. When you yawn, do three pushups. If you check your phone, do five tricep dips.

Make it fun! You can even get your friends or co-workers to join in, too.

6. Be the coffee person.

Volunteer yourself to pick up everyone's coffee orders. Get a few extra steps in, soak up some Vitamin D outside and strengthen your biceps from holding all of those almond milk lattes.

Plus, your co-workers and friends will be pretty happy with you, and you'll be racking up even more of those good karma points.

7. Tighten your core.

Whenever it crosses your mind, engage your core by pulling your belly button in toward your spine.

This helps with balance, posture, and yeah, toning your tummy.

The more often you do this, the more it'll become second nature.

You'll even start noticing better form in your gym workouts as a result of this really simple technique.

8. Hang out with the dogs.

Dogs are a great example of endless, pure happy energy.

If you have a dog, take it on a walk and do a few sprints with your little guy.

In between each sprint interval, give your pooch a pet and a breather, then head straight back into the next sprint.

Your pup will be beyond stoked to be running around, and you'll blast calories, raise your metabolism and tone your entire lower body by doing so.

An active lifestyle is just one half of the equation. Make sure to give your body the nutrients it needs to reveal the muscles you've been working so hard to achieve.

Check out the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan for tasty recipes to help you reach all of your fitness goals.