burn calories

1. Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster.

2. Burn 100 calories in 20 minutes by gardening, washing the car, walking the dog or pushing a stroller. It takes only 15 minutes of jogging, dancing or roller blading to burn an additional 100 calories.

3. Rowing, which engages more muscles than most other forms of aerobic exercise, burns more calories for equivalent power output than cycling or treadmill running. Rowing is a great low-impact lifeline for attaining aerobic fitness.

4. Yoga's systematic breathing techniques can help soothe stress, ease pain, and strengthen lungs. By paying attention to our breathing, making it deeper and more conscious, tension is released, uplifting the body, mind and spirit.

5. Boxing's benefits go far beyond how to pack a powerful punch. Boxing provides a 20% cardiovascular workout and 80% anaerobic endurance - the main catalyst for burning fat.

6. The key to sticking to a fitness regimen is to make a habit of doing activities that you look forward to and truly enjoy. An exercise habit doesn't form by accident; it requires scheduling and follow-through. Find activities you want to engage in and you'll find they keep your interest and prove enjoyable at the same time.

1. While it's true that 1,400 calories is 1,400 calories, experts say certain foods have a greater ability to fill you up before they fill you out. These tend to be fiber-rich, water-rich foods, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

2. Consuming calcium-rich dairy foods three to four times a day equates to burning about 100 more calories of body fat per day, or about 10 pounds of fat per year.

3. Burn an extra 100 calories a day and lose 9.5 pounds (36,500 calories) of weight in one year by briskly walking 15 minutes a day.

4. Did you know that 3500 calories=1 pound? Shed a pound a week by eating 500 less or burning 500 more calories a day.

5. Power walking burns off 200-250 calories per mile while jogging burns 100 calories per mile.

6. Eat egg whites for a healthy low-calorie, no carb and almost no fat snack. Each egg white contains 17 calories, 3.6 grams of protein and several amino acids.

7. Hiking gives you an incredible cardiovascular workout and your lower body gets an incredible endurance and strength workout. A 130-pound person can burn up to 170 calories during a 30-minute hike, and a 170-pound person burns over 230 calories.

8. Swimming burns calories at a rate of about 3 calories a mile per pound of bodyweight. If you weigh 150 lbs. and it takes you 30 minutes to swim one mile (1,760 yards or 1,600 meters), you will be using about 900 calories in one hour.

9. Take a 20 minute break and lose 100 calories by gardening, washing the car, or walking the dog. Burn 100 calories in 15 minutes with aerobics, dancing, jogging, or roller blading.

10. A large order of fries from a fast food chain can contain up to 570 kcal, a whopping 30 grams of total fat and 8 grams of trans fat! 47% of the calories found in french fries are from fat alone.

11. Whole grain bread is low in fat and calories (only 69 kcal/slice) and also a good source of B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, fiber, and other valuable antioxidants. Add peanut butter and fresh fruit for a healthy and balanced breakfast.

12. Feeling guilty when you snack? You'll find only 25 calories in a small glass of tomato juice, 12 pretzels, a cup of air-popped popcorn or a sugar-free Jello pack.

1. Work up a sweat. When you're breathing hard and sweating, your heart will pump better, giving you more energy and help you look and feel best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging, or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.

2. Work those abs by doing crunches rather than sit-ups. Lie on the floor with knees bent and arms crossed in front of your chest. Pull your belly button in towards your spine and slowly contract your abs, lifting your shoulders 1-3 inches off the floor. Shorten the distance between the bottom of your rib cage and your pelvis. Slowly lower your shoulders without relaxing all the way.

3. Yoga practice helps stretch out muscles and ligaments, tones the body, detoxifies and clears the mind.

4. Can't find time to exercise? Get off the bus or park a block before your destination and walk the rest of the way.

5. It's important to take a break when you're sick. Exercise puts a temporary stress on the body and immune system, which may prolong your illness.

6. Cooling down helps your body recover from the stress of exercise and helps the circulatory system return to a resting state.

7. Another reason to get off the couch: A recent 14-year study shows that individuals who got regular exercise experienced 25 percent less joint and muscle pain as they aged compared to less active people.

8. Regular physical activity improves the body's ability to pump blood which improves reaction time, concentration, creativity and mental/physical reactions.

9. Approx. 53% of people who are obese don't eat more than their thinner counterparts. According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the difference is that they have a much more sedentary, inactive lifestyle compared to people without weight problems.

10. Don't get stuck in a cardio rut...try something new! Take a yoga class, wall climb, hike, skip a rope, or go power shopping. Set realistic goals and reward yourself to stay motivated. It really works!

11. If you are pressed for time, take the stairs, walk to the store or ride your bike. The benefits of exercise are cumulative.

12. Exercise burns calories. Walking for 30 minutes a day will burn around 1,500 calories a week. Over six months this totals a staggering 39,000 calories - the equivalent of over 11lb of fat.

13. Physical activity should be a daily occurrence. Raise your metabolism, clear your mind and feel healthier by walking, running or jumping for a minimum of 20 minutes a day.

14. Walking, climbing or running on an incline burns more calories than going at the same intensity on a flat surface. It'll also sculpt the quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks and calves.

15. Aerobic exercise gives you an instant calorie burn while anaerobic exercise (i.e. weightlifting) raises metabolic rates and increases " longer-term calorie expenditure."

16. Exercise increases the body’s metabolism rate and the ability to burn off fat. The body's metabolism starts to slow down 8 hours after we wake up. Exercise in between these 8 hours and your food will digest much quicker.

17. Need another excuse to hit the weights? Lifting weights increases endurance and flexibility, protects your joints, increases bone mass, energy levels and metabolism. The benefits of strength training continue when you're at rest! Your metabolism stays raised even if you are inactive.