Health & beauty
My Week as an Infomercial Addict
Fitness
10 Ways to Burn More Calories Just By Sitting
Who needs the gym when you can do these sneaky moves and lose weight with almost no effort?
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.
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