Stealth Exercise: Burn More Calories in the Kitchen

Exercising isn’t something you do only at the gym. You can turn almost any activity into “stealth exercise” by increasing the intensity with which you do it. Even cooking a meal and cleaning up afterwards can be a calorie-burner. For example, did you know you burn over 3 calories for every minute you spend working in the kitchen, and you can blast away even more by picking up the pace? If you’re trying to get fit, there are ways to turn your time in the kitchen into a calorie-burning marathon. Here are tips for burning more calories while cooking a meal.

Get Ready to Burn Calories

Wiping down the surfaces of counters burns more than 200 calories an hour if you do it with enthusiasm. Before preparing a meal, grab a sponge, and give the counters a thorough scrubbing. Move your arms vigorously as you do. For inspiration, turn on some fast-paced music.

Now, get out the pots and pans. Before placing them on the stove top or in the oven, hold one in each hand and do a set of arm raises. Skip the kitchen gadgets. If you’re making mashed potatoes, mash them by hand. If you’re baking cookies, put away the mixer, and stir the dough the old-fashioned way, using muscle power. For more calorie-burning points, bake bread from scratch. Not only will it taste better, but kneading the dough is a real calorie burner. Prepare vegetables fresh rather than using canned or frozen. You’ll burn more calories washing and chopping them then you will shaking them out of a bag.

Make the Kitchen Your Gym

While you’re waiting for water to boil, do a quick set of jumping jacks and deep knee bends. Don’t worry, no one will see you. They’ll just wonder why you’re looking more toned recently. You can even do modified push-ups by placing your hands on the edge of the kitchen counter and moving your upper body up and down.

Pick up the pace as you move through the kitchen taking things out of the refrigerator and putting things away. If you’re waiting for something to boil or set, turn up the music and dance while you wait. Use your downtime in the kitchen as an opportunity to move around.

The Calorie-Burning Clean-Up

The clean-up after a meal gives you another chance to burn more calories. Pick up the pace as you put things back in the refrigerator and clear off the counters. Skip the dishwasher, and scrub the dishes by hand. Dishwashing burns 75 calories per hour. Clean off the counters again to burn even more calories. While you’re at it, give the floors a scrub. If you do it on your hands and knees, you’ll burn a whopping 258 calories per hour. Those calories add up, and you get the reward of having a cleaner floor.

Don’t forget to take out the trash, but before you do, hold the trash can in each hand and raise it above your head as many times as you can. The heavier the can, the more you’ll tone your muscles and burn calories. If you have time, wash the windows in the kitchen, window washing burns around 250 calories per hour.

The Bottom Line?

Cooking a meal can be a calorie-burner when you up the intensity. Just watch the nibbling and “sampling” or you’ll undo all of those calorie-burning benefits.


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