The holiday season brings joy to everyone, especially with the feasts and merriment going on. However, with all the munching come the calories which, in turn, add to the pounds. So how does one burn those extra calories?
Getting to the gym is not the only way to get rid of them. Some regular activities at home can also help you in shedding off those holiday pounds.
If you're a dog owner, then you can start with keeping your furry friends clean. Giving your dog a bath, which takes about 15 minutes, can help burn 56 calories.
Do you enjoy gardening or maybe even the more mundane tasks of mowing and tending the lawn? Bagging leaves and cutting grass for about 30 minutes can burn 127 calories. Mowing the lawn for 20 minutes burns about 95 calories. Raking the lawn for 30 minutes can burn 137 calories.
Stocking your kitchen with groceries is something many people want to do before and after the holiday season. Grocery shopping with a cart burns 73 calories, while doing so with a shopping basket burns 79 calories. Loading and unloading your groceries into the car for just 10 minutes can burn 32 calories. Putting away groceries for about five minutes can burn 13 extra calories.
The holiday season is a time for family reunions. Sitting and chatting with relatives may also last for hours. By doing this for just one hour, they can burn 95 calories. Quarreling with relatives may burn even more. Socializing for an hour with friends, office colleagues, family or anyone else can burn 127 calories.
If you are playing host for lunch or dinner, then you can prepare food for an hour and burn about 195 calories. Light baking for an hour burns about 159 calories.
Clearing dishes from the table for five minutes burns about 13 calories and washing those dishes by hand for 15 minutes burns about 37 calories. Taking out trash, which takes just a couple of minutes, can burn five calories.
Cleaning the house for about an hour burns around 191 calories. Mopping the floor for 15 minutes can burn 56 calories, while dusting for about 15 minutes burns 40 calories.
Taking a brisk walk for just 15 minutes after dinner can help burn about 95 calories. Light jogging for 15 minutes burns 127 calories.
Changing linens for guests who stayed overnight can take about 15 minutes and burn about 40 calories. Tending the bar for an hour can burn 146 calories.
Playing catch, either football or baseball, can also burn 79 calories in just 30 minutes, while playing American football with the family for an hour can burn 508 calories.
Don't avoid these simple chores as they'll help you shed some extra pounds. However, these chores may not be ideal enough for burning all those calories consumed during the holiday season.
Traditional holiday treats, such as a cup of eggnog (400 calories), a slice of pecan pie (500 calories) or sweet potatoes (200 calories), may add a lot of extra calories to your body. A resolution to get fit this new year should still include regular physical activity.
