10 Mar Dance like no one is watching…

Broken Metabolism? Read on!

When trying to lose weight, many of us wrongly assume that cutting calories is the best answer. But, what most people don’t realize is, a low calorie diet (less than 1000/day) will destroy metabolism-boosting muscle.

Since muscle is the key to keeping your metabolism pumping, cutting calories might be doing more harm than good!

The only way to add muscle to your frame is to keep moving so – Instead of cutting calories, burn them!

Here are four of my favorite tips to trick yourself into moving more. If you’re ready to learn how to fix your metabolism with movement, read on.

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1. Dance like no one is watching.

You may be more comfortable if you really don’t have an audience, but just know that dancing around and being silly is a form of movement. If the alternative is sitting on the couch, it can really make a difference. Even small movements are helpful. Need some motivation? Grab a new pair of earbuds! I’ve run four ½ marathons with these guys ☺

Ok, you don’t necessarily need to dance. Just do something fun! One of my favorite aspects of business travel – sneaking in a visit with family! I got an unexpected (but very necessary) workout playing soccer with my nephews. I was planning on taking a quick jog but playing soccer with these guys just about wore me out. I think we played for at least an hour, so approximately 300-400 calories burned. So much more fun than jogging

2. Ditch the elev-escalators.

Instead of taking an elevator, escalator or moving sidewalk, walk! An extra 10 minutes of stair climbing every day will burn 12 pounds of fat a year! That may not seem like a lot, but consider that you really aren’t changing that much about your routine. It’s almost effortless.

A recent study on fidgeting shows that small movements can play a big role in weight loss. Most study participants burned an extra 850 calories/day (the equivalent of an 8.5 mile walk) just by being more active. Fidgeters, if you don’t have one already, get an exercise ball! This one even comes with free training ebooks!.

Ready for a throwback?

Now that’s a throwback! Yes. It’s me in my lycra thong leotard (honestly, who invented the thong leotard?) and my very big hair. I was just starting my wellness business and this was my first ad-I remember feeling so excited to start my business and I was really hopeful that this ad would make people want to hire me. I don’t think it did.

Finally, I shared my top 3 lunch hour workouts for busy people on About.com. Check it out!

Top 3 Lunch Hour Workouts for Busy People

3. Park farther away.

Okay, folks. You may have heard this one before, but I’m mentioning it here because it really makes a difference! Walking an extra 10 minutes a day will burn nearly five pounds of fat in 12 months. It may take a little extra time, but it’s not like you have to drive to a gym or drop the kids off at the babysitter. It can easily be done as part of your routine.

Need some motivation to get started? How about breaking in a new pair of Brook’s Running Shoes? In my opinion, there is nothing like the feel of a new pair 🙂

Oh and all that walking is sure to make you thirsty! Stay hydrated by keeping some LaCroix in a small cooler.

4. Stand instead of sit.

Simple enough, but most of us are on our backsides for a good portion of the day. Standing may help you burn 20 to 50 additional calories per hour (depending on your size). Do the math, if you stand for an additional four hours each day you can burn an extra 80 to 200 calories — helping you lose 8 to 20 pounds over the course of a year!

This is me NOT sitting while I’m reading nutrition research. Exercise nerd? Perhaps haha! Start thinking about moving more during your day – get creative. A little bit of movement can increase your circulation, energy and mood. Just move!

Instead of the more expensive exercise trackers, go old-school and use a simple, yet updated, pedometer to track your movement. Like this one from 3DTriSport.