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6 Activities That Burn Calories but Don't Feel Like Exercise

Burn calories without feeling like you're actually exercising!

Regular exercise is a major part of living a healthy life, but it can also be a major bummer. Really, who wants to sweat and be uncomfortable every day? Luckily, you don’t necessarily need to join a gym or even go running to get your exercise. There are plenty of fun things you can do that will burn calories without you hardly even knowing it. Consider adding these low-effort activities into your daily or weekly routines to see some easy results.

Walking: The Easy Social Activity

We all know that walking is a simple way to get some exercise in, but you’d be surprised to know just how great this activity is for burning calories. While the number of calories you burn depends a lot on your weight, your metabolism, how quickly you walk, and other factors, the average person can burn nearly 200 calories per hour by walking at a regular pace. The great thing about this “exercise” is that it can be social – consider getting a group together to go on daily (or weekly) walks. While you’re walking and chatting it up, you won’t even realize you’re exercising.

Hiking: Get One With Nature While Burning Calories

If you want to step it up–literally–hiking offers you a way to burn much more calories than you would by walking. While not everyone will have the option to go hiking, if there are any trails in your area, the activity is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with nature, see some fantastic sights, and burn some calories. Just like walking, it’s a free exercise, and you don’t necessarily need any special equipment to do it.

Yoga: Limber Up and Get Fit

There are many benefits to practicing yoga on a regular basis, not the least of which is that it burns calories. You decide how strenuous your yoga practice is, so if you want to take it easy, you can take it easy, and if you want to go hard and burn a ton of calories, you can do that too. Yoga will also help you limber up so that other activities become easier to do. Consider practicing a little yoga every morning for a non-caffeinated boost to your day.

Dancing: More Fun Than Jumping Rope

Whether you’ve signed up for salsa dancing lessons or you’re spending a night out on the town with your gal pals, dancing can get you up and going. Best of all, you’ll be having so much fun that you won’t realize how much time has passed – and how much of a workout you’ve gotten.

Swimming: A Cardio Workout in Disguise

Swimming is a fantastic way to burn calories, as the activity works a lot of the major muscle groups. Keep in mind that you need not go to an Olympic-sized pool to get your breaststrokes in. Simply head out to your local community pool or lake and spend some time in the water to easily burn some calories. Keep in mind, though, that if you’re going to head to the beach, don’t drink all those burnt calories in beach beers.

Cleaning: Two Birds With One Stone

Just like exercising, cleaning is probably something you don’t look forward to. But think about all the work that goes into cleaning your home: sweeping, mopping, picking things up, carrying stuff from one room to another … cleaning is actually pretty physical. If cleaning isn’t a regular part of your schedule (shame on you!), consider setting aside a weekend afternoon every week to making your home spotless. You’ll be achieving two things: an organized home and a legit workout.

[Image via Getty]

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