It is no secret that exercise and a healthy diet are effective ways to lose and manage weight, but there are other simple and unconventional ways to increase daily calorie burn without needing to go to the gym.
Although age, sex, height, and weight are all factors that affect how the body uses calories, activities like cleaning the house, getting enough sleep, chewing gum, and even laughing can contribute to burning more calories.
Household Chores
Household chores help the body boost metabolism and burn extra calories.
Some reports have clarified that house cleaning helps burn about 150 calories per hour for people weighing around 68 kg.
Laughter
The benefit of laughing with friends is not limited to enjoyment; it also burns calories.
Studies have shown that laughing out loud for 10 to 15 minutes burns up to 40 calories.
Researchers believe that laughter reduces stress levels and boosts metabolism.
Chewing Gum
Evidence indicates that the effort the mouth exerts in chewing gum helps speed up metabolism.
One study found that participants burned more calories when they chewed gum before a meal.
Other research mentioned that gum enhances the body’s feeling of fullness.
Lowering Home Heating
The body naturally maintains its internal temperature, and when exposed to lower temperatures, it has to work harder to stay warm. This extra effort burns more calories.
Drinking Cold Water
Drinking water boosts metabolism and burns calories, as it requires extra energy for the body to warm it to its internal temperature.
Shopping
Even shopping helps burn calories. Experts recommend walking eight thousand to ten thousand steps daily.
Video Games
Video games that require physical movement may help burn more calories.
Gardening
Experts confirmed that spending an hour working in the garden helps burn more calories and strengthens the muscles of the upper and lower body, because garden work includes weeding, bending, kneeling, digging, and using heavy tools.
Sleeping Longer
The body naturally burns calories during sleep to maintain its vital functions. Research has mentioned that getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep supports metabolism and regulates appetite hormones.
Drinking Green Tea and Coffee
Beverages containing caffeine, such as tea and coffee, raise the metabolic rate.
In one study, it was found that obese participants who continued to drink several cups of green tea burned about 183 extra calories each day.
