15 Easy Ways to Burn Calories Without Even Noticing

Even though exercising keeps us healthy, it can be really boring. These everyday tasks, that are likely already on your to-do list, keep you in shape.

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A bath

Soaking in a hot bath for 30 minutes can burn 130 calories. That’s about as many as a 30-minute walk. Relaxing in a hot bath can induce passive heating, which reduces inflammation, which also happens to your body post workout. A study in Finland also revealed that passive heating could help to ward off cardiovascular disease.

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Re-paint your walls

Spending about an hour throwing a new coat of paint on your walls can burn over 200 calories. Try these 50 other ways to lose weight without exercise.

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Swap out your chair

Replace your desk chair with an exercise ball. Balancing on a stability ball all day will help you engage your core and thigh muscles and can help improve your posture. Many people have jobs that require them to be in front of their computer screen all day; by swapping out your chair you can burn around 300 more calories than when you just slump in your desk chair all day.

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Play a game of charades

Letting the competitive side of you come out can be beneficial when it comes to burning calories. Get your body moving by playing a game of charades with your friends. Check out 42 of the fastest (and easiest) ways you can lose weight.

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Deep clean your house

Instead of spending the morning at the gym or in a yoga class, take the time to deep clean your house. Dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and scrubbing down your counters and sinks can burn a ton of calories.

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Rearrange the living room

Try a new layout for one of the rooms in your home. By pushing, lifting, and rotating furniture around for 30 minutes you can get your heart rate up and burn some calories. You can even lose belly fat with these 23 tricks that don’t include exercise!

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Play with kids

Children never stop moving. Join in on their fun to help you burn a few calories. Playing a game of hopscotch for 20 minutes can burn over 100 calories.

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Hit the bar with your friends

Invite a couple friends to go out with you and hit the dance floor. You’ll be burning plenty of calories without even noticing it. If you need a break from the crowded dance floor, play a game of darts; an hour game can burn around 200 calories. Before you hit the night club, make sure you eat one of these fat-burning foods that can help you lose weight.

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Get your grocery shopping done

Pushing a full cart around the store for 45 minutes can burn over 100 calories. Now the chore of grocery shopping doesn’t seem so bad! Carrying your groceries from the car and putting them away can burn another 80 calories. 

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Rebuild your wardrobe

Don’t feel guilty about splurging on one too many new tops for your closet. Bring lots of options into the dressing room with you, for every new outfit you put on, you can burn around 15 calories. And don’t miss out on these quick weight loss tips even nutrition pros swear by.

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Give a massage

You and your partner can give each other massages to help each other relax while also getting in some exercise. Unwind after a long day with your spouse and burn 200 calories by giving a 40-minute massage.

karaoke
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Karaoke night

Belt out those tunes! Singing for an hour can burn almost 140 calories. Laughing at your friends while they attempt to hit those high notes can burn even more. Twenty minutes of laughing can burn around 70 calories.

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Build a garden

Pulling weeds and planting new seeds for 30 minutes can burn 200 calories. Want more easy ways to lose weight? Check out these weight loss tips that don’t require dieting or exercising.

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Wash your car

Water down, scrub, and wax your ride to burn over 200 calories. To burn even more calories, vacuum out and dust the inside of your car as well.

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Fidget

Even though it might be annoying to others, fidget while you are sitting at your desk or eating dinner. Tapping your toes and moving around in your seat can burn 350 more calories than those who sit still all day. Fidgeting is one of the 14 quick ways to jump-start your metabolism and help you lose weight.

Sources: travelandleisure.com, health.com

Morgan Cutolo
Morgan is the Assistant Digital Managing Editor at Reader’s Digest. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2016 with a B.A. in Journalism. When she’s not writing for RD.com or keeping the 650+ pieces of content our team produces every month organized, she likes watching HGTV, going on Target runs, and searching through Instagram to find new corgi accounts to follow.