Exercise Without Really Trying: 4 Ideas

Burning calories becomes something you never need to think about when you incorporate movement into most moments of your day. Here's how to spend less time counting calories:

1. Get on the vacuum program. Make vacuuming a total body exercise by stepping forward in a slightly longer-than-usual stride as you move the carpet machine forward while keeping your back straight, then stepping back as you draw the unit toward you again. At the same time you work the muscles of your legs with this lunge-like motion, roll the vacuum cleaner forward with your arms, which uses your shoulder, chest, arm, and upper back for a near-complete workout that contains elements of both strength and aerobic conditioning.

2. Make every movement count. Fidgeting burns hundreds of calories a day, according to studies at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and even chewing gum eats up 11 calories an hour. So don't lose sight of the fact that any form of physical activity -- no matter how small -- helps your body burn calories. More ways to get movement into your everyday life:

Always stand up and walk around when on the telephone.

Always stand up and walk around during television commercials.

Chop your vegetables by hand, rather than using a food processor.

While in the car, roll your shoulders and stretch your arms at red lights.

Whenever you have music on, tap your toes or bounce your knee to the rhythm.

Insist on bagging your own groceries at the food store.

3. Get two workouts in one. You can burn a substantial amount of extra calories during a strength workout if you move quickly from one exercise to the next. By keeping in motion rather than resting between exercises, you are combining strengthening with aerobic exercise, greatly boosting your energy burn. Key trick: Alternate between upper- and lower-body moves, so you give just-exercised muscles time to rest.

4. Track your metabolism. Even if you boost your metabolism, how would you know? It's largely been a matter of guesswork or cumulative results on the bathroom scale. Now, however, health providers and fitness centers can help clients track their resting metabolic rate (RMR) -- the basic measure of metabolism -- using a new device called the BodyGem. When you breathe into the handheld inhaler-like unit for a few minutes, your current RMR pops up on a digital readout, giving you a calorie goal for both diet and exercise -- and a tangible way to check on your progress. To find healthcare professionals or gyms using the BodyGem, check a locator feature on the manufacturer's website, www.healthetech.com.