5 ways to burn more calories without exercising

1. Keep the room temperature low

Try to keep your room cool, especially when you sleep, and be outdoors more often. Cold increases the amount of brown fat, a type of adipose tissue that expends energy to warm the body. Scientists have found that in adults, 50–100 g of brown fat increases energy costs by 150–300 kcal per day.

A 2014 study found that when brown fat is present, prolonged exposure (5-8 hours) in a cold room significantly increases energy expenditure, accelerates glucose utilization throughout the body, and increases insulin sensitivity.

A study by Francesco S. Celi and Dr. Paul Lee found that regular sleep in a cold room (19 ° C) for a month increases the volume of brown fat cells by 42%, and their metabolic activity - on 10%. In addition, the study participants had increased glucose sensitivity, as well as increased amounts of leptin (an appetite suppressant hormone) and adiponectin (increases insulin sensitivity, has anti-inflammatory and antiatherogenic effects).

2. Sit on the floor more often

If you watch TV on the floor, rather than on a soft couch or chair, more muscles are strained just to keep your body in a certain position. It also takes more energy to sit on and off the floor.

In addition to wasting calories, sitting on the floor improves flexibility, muscle tone, and posture.

Our body is designed to do full squats, but modern humans do it in only half of the range all day. As a result, we gradually lose flexibility and joint mobility.

By returning to full range of motion, you will improve posture, maintain flexibility in muscles and tendons, and even prolong life. A 2012 study by Brazilian scientists showed that not being able to sit on and off the floor without using hands increases the risk of dying in old age.

Sitting on the floor, you can watch TV or play video games, talk on the phone, read books, have a snack or even dine: forced body movements during such a meal will improve digestion.

3. Chew gum

James Levine and Paulette Baukol of the Mayo Clinic found that chewing gum increases energy consumption by 11 kcal per hour.

What's more, chewing gum helps you consume fewer calories and still feel more energized. Kathleen Melanson, professor of nutritional science at the University of Rhode Island, investigated the effects of sugar-free gum on weight control. When study participants chewed gum for one hour in the morning (three 20-minute chunks), they consumed 67 less calories for breakfast and did not compensate for them throughout the day.

In assessing their condition, the participants stated that they felt more energized and less hungry after chewing gum.

The researchers hypothesized that the chewing process itself stimulates the nerves in the masticatory muscles, which send signals to the appetite zones in the brain associated with satiety. This explains why the subjects were less hungry.

4. Walk to dynamic music

A 2016 study by Italian scientists showed that listening to energetic music raises the heart rate faster.

One group of participants pedaled on a stationary bike to music at a tempo of 150-170 BPM, another - to rhythmic music with a high BPM, and the third - no music at all. As a result, groups exercising with energetic music reached the aerobic zone faster (50-60% of their maximum heart rate), and after reaching a threshold of 75% of their maximum heart rate, rhythmic music helped them maintain their pace and accelerate.

If you are not doing cardio workout, then just go to the rhythmic music, for example, to work or to the store. This will help you move faster and burn more calories.

5. Get new knowledge

At rest, the brain consumes about 420 kcal per day and utilizes about 60% of all glucose in the body. And during vigorous mental activity, calorie consumption increases even more.

Several British experiments have shown that solving complex problems increases glucose intake. During the experiment, one group performed simple actions, such as repeatedly pressing a button, while the other solved math problems. Participants solving complex examples experienced a drop in glucose. This means that they spent more calories in the process.

A 2004 study found that glucose levels changed in response to the Stroop test, which requires a high concentration. In addition, scientists have noticed a relationship between glucose levels and the accuracy of responses. Thus, the more focused a person is, the more energy his brain consumes.

To burn more calories during mental activity, the task must be challenging and fun. Only in this way can you maintain a high degree of concentration.

The good news is that the more you exercise your brain, the more calories it will consume. In the course of the study, Gerald E. Larson found that the higher a person's mental capacity, the more glucose is consumed by the cerebral cortex during work.

However, it should be noted that no amount of mental activity can compare with physical exercise and a simple home workout will burn more calories than the most complex mathematical example.