We all know that aerobic activities, like running, skiing, swimming, and tennis increase your heart rate and burn off calories. But, did you know that you could also lose weight and boost energy without ever leaving your house? If you ever feel winded by moving furniture or scrubbing your kitchen floor, then you’re exercising hard enough to enjoy real health benefits - in numerical terms, burning 4.5 or more calories in a minute if you weigh about 130 pounds, or 6 calories a minute if you weigh about 180. (Remember, the heavier you are, the more calories an activity burns).

To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you’re taking in. To lose one pound of fat, you need to burn off 3,500 calories. That means if you burn about 200 calories a day beyond your normal output by doing common activities like washing a car or pushing a lawn mower, you’ll lose a pound of fat in less than 3 weeks. Now add this calorie burning to a healthy diet and you’ll cut your risk of disease and live longer without ever walking into a gym!

Common Activities:  (Calories burned per 10 minutes*)         

Walking fast: (60 calories)      
Painting: (60 calories)
Weeding: (60 calories)
Washing a car: (60 calories)
Playing tag with a child: (65 calories)
Cleaning gutters: (65 calories)
Pushing a lawn mower: (70 calories)  
Scrubbing floors: (70 calories)
Biking to work: (75 calories)
Moving furniture: (75 calories)
Walking up stairs: (85 calories)       
Carrying a 2 year old upstairs: (95 calories)                

* Based on a 180 pound individual.          
Always consult a physician before begining a diet or exercise program.                       

If you dismiss gardening because you’ve got a brown thumb, you might want to reconsider. Gardening packs a 1-2-3 punch for a healthy diet and lifestyle. Take a look:

1. Stress reliever. Studies abound on the restorative benefits of connecting with nature. Some experts now believe that soaking up the sights, smells and sounds of nature can lower blood pressure, boost immune function and reduce stress.
2. Bone builder. A recent study at the University of Arkanasas found that women who gardened at least once a week achieved higher bone density scores that women who swam, walked, jogged and did aerobics.  Strength-training activities like digging, weeding and watering provide a “yard workout” that builds strong bones thanks to the resistance involved in pulling, carrying and shoveling.
3. Straight-from-the-vine snack provider. When you plant fruits and vegetables in your garden, you reap the nutritional benefits of homegrown snacks.

Lining up a support system at home can boost your chance for success when it comes to dieting to lose weight. What can family members do?

• Ask them to constructively point out your bad behaviors. If they see you mindlessly munching while watching TV, or they notice that you skip breakfast and overeat at lunch, give them permission to call you on it.
• Get active as a family. Instill a new family routine of taking a brisk walk together after dinner every night. Or go bike riding as a family every Saturday morning.
• Switch tasks. Do you tend to buy lots of junk food while grocery shopping? Do you tend to munch while putting left-overs away? Find your weak spot and ask your spouse to handle this chore. In exchange, you take over one of his/her undesirable chores.
• Be a cheerleader! When they see you falter, ask your family to provide you with “you-can-do-it” inspiration from the sidelines. When they see you succeed, ask them to give you a well-deserved pat on the back.

If you’re like most people, you list “healthy lifestyle” as a top priority. While it sounds good, and you may truly WANT to achieve a healthy lifestyle, do you really WORK at it every day? In other words, do you truly walk the talk or just give it lip service? Try this exercise to see if your top priorities match your daily activities. List the three or four most important things in your life. Then list the things you spend most of your time doing every day. For example:

My Top Priorities

Family
Health
Job

My Daily Activities

Work late to meet deadlines
Grab “junk” food on the run
Get stressed out at work
Talk on the phone
Watch TV

Do your two lists correspond with each other? If you are like the majority of people, probably not. Even though most people list “good health” as one of their top priorities, they don’t spend time improving their health on a day-to-day basis. The solution? Make healthy living a priority every day, through small, consistent actions. For a daily nudge, put it on your “to do” list…and make sure it gets done. Everyday!