Yeah, we know — you're too stressed out to chuckle. But data from Vanderbilt University Medical Center says that if you can eek out a laugh for 10 to 15 minutes a day, you'll burn up to 40 calories. A real hoot causes your heart rate to rise by 10 to 20 percent, and as it does, your metabolism also increases, which means you'll continue to burn cals once you stop laughing too. No joke!
Some giggle-worthy ideas? Gina Barreca, humorist and author of "They Used to Call Me Snow White, But I Drifted: Women's Strategic Use of Humor" suggests keeping a go-to list of the most ridiculous things your friends and family have said to you, to brighten your mood. She also recommends hitting YouTube to watch interviews and stand-up routines of funny ladies like Nora Ephron, Joan Rivers, and Chelsea Handler. Visual cues always insight a good snicker, as well. Try googling hilarious animal pictures, like dogs in Halloween costumes, or stash some hilarious shots of your friends looking their goofiest.
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Make Some Muscle
Lean muscle burns 12 times more calories than fat, and for every pound of muscle added, experts say your body increases its basal metabolic rate by an additional 50 calories a day — when you're sitting still. If you can't get to the gym, make muscles while you're seated. Though you're welcome to pump water bottles at your desk, these core and lower body ideas are way less conspicuous.
Abs: Lean slightly back in your chair and lift your feet off the floor with straight legs at a 45 degree angle, then bend your knees toward your chest and shoot them back out to the starting position; do this for 3 sets and 20 reps, to burn up to 75 calories, says Kristin McGee, a celebrity fitness trainer. Another idea is to fully exhale, then squeeze in the stomach as much as possible, and hold the position for 5 to 8 seconds to feel your ab muscles "glued" to the spine; two sets of 8 reps will burn up to 100 calories, says Amir Pozderac, founder of Executive Fitness Consulting. Beyond the burn, a strong core also supports posture, promotes better breathing, and makes you look leaner.
Legs: For inner thighs, squeeze a mini exercise ball for 10 seconds in 3 sets of 20 reps, three to five times a week, to burn up to 75 calories a day, says McGee. For quads, Linda Cheek, MD, a Virginia physician, suggests "marching in place," in a seated position, by raising and lowering each bent leg. Work 5 minutes on each leg, and you'll burn 35 calories for 10 minutes total.
Rear: Sammie Kennedy, certified personal trainer and creator of the DVD "Booty Camp Fitness Ultimate Home Edition 2," suggests holding glutes tight for 5 seconds, then releasing, for 10 reps; do one set per office hour, to burn up to 35 calories. Squeezing glutes on alternating sides -- left for five seconds, right for five, for 10 to 20 reps each, will create circulation on your backside, too. Strong glutes do more than make you look good: studies often find a correlation between weak glutes and bulging or herniated disks.
No matter what you consider your daily grind — sitting behind a computer, running errands for your family, keeping up with your favorite TV shows — most of us spend way too much time on our expanding derrieres.
Studies say that too much sitting puts us at greater risk for diabetes and cancer, increased inflammation and insulin levels, and slower metabolism, among other issues. And sloths aren't the only ones who suffer. People who hit the gym and watch their diets are also having an increasingly hard time staying trim with the longer hours we spend on our booties. We're busier than ever, yet when our hectic schedules are over, we crave nothing more than — you guessed it — collapsing onto our backsides. What can we do when our lives revolve around sitting for work and relaxation?
Beat our sedentary lifestyle at its own game, of course. That's why we asked experts how to boost metabolism and burn calories while seated. We don't want you to replace exercise, eating well, and living a healthy lifestyle with these butt-blasting suggestions — just add them to your existing routine to maximize your calorie burning potential. So what are you waiting for? As you read this, you're probably already in the starting position anyway.
