Use this cheat sheet to increase your burn and boost your metabolism while you sit.
1. Work your abs while you sit. Lean back 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 3 sets of 20 reps to burn 75 calories.
2. Squeeze your stomach muscles as tightly as possible and hold for 8 seconds. Two sets of 8 will burn 100 calories.
3. Laugh a lot to burn energy. Ten to 15 minutes of laughter a day will burn 40 calories.
4. Fidget as much as possible: Tap your feet. Wiggle in your seat. Jiggle your leg. People who fidget endlessly burn an extra 300 calories a day.
5. Trade your chair for a stability ball. Or if you're not at the office, use a rocking chair, which burns 150 calories an hour.
6. Turn down the thermostat. Your body burns more calories trying to keep warm. So take off that sweater and turn down the heat.
7. Listen to upbeat music to boost your mood, decrease cravings and get you moving. A desk dance party can burn up to 130 calories.
8. Snack on high-fiber foods that are harder for the body to digest. You'll burn more calories (and consume fewer) than if you're eating sugary, high-carb snacks.
9. Sip caffeine responsibily. Caffeine will boost the metabolism -- unless you're dehydrated. Oolong tea helps burn fat and won't give you the jitters.
10. Stay hydrated. Drink water throughout the day to give your metabolism a boost.
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.
