5 Ways to Be a Calorie and Fat Burning Machine from Household Chores by:Carlos Regueira

During these hard economic times, you may find it hard to make the time to go to the gym or workout

. You're working longer hours, or there just doesn't seem like there are enough hours in the day to balance your work, home, and health. The fact of the matter is that if you're not paying attention to your health, you may not be around to worry about taking care of your professional and personal life.

What if you could find simple and easy ways to burn calories and fat from the comfort of your own home? What if it meant altering daily tasks that you're probably doing anyway instead of implementing an entirely new workout routine?

Apply these five tips in your daily routine, and you'll turn into a calorie burning and fat scorching machine.

Do it standing. Whether you are folding clothes, talking on the phone, ironing, or cleaning the bathroom, do it standing up. Any household chores that you can do standing helps you to burn more calories than tasks done while sitting. For example, mopping floors is a workout for your shoulders and biceps. If you mop the floors in your house for 30 minutes, you'll burn approximately 112 calories. It's like burning calories for free because you have to clean the floor anyway.

Make love, not war. Making love with your spouse or significant other not only enhances your relationship, which affects your spiritual well-being, but it also helps you to shed 150 calories. A fun 30-minute romp three times a week equates to one pound lost in a month.

Green your lawn and your body. When it's time to mow the grass, trade in your riding lawn mower for a manual push mower. You can be greener to the environment and use an electric push mower instead of a gas operated one. Yard work like this helps you to save money on gas or electricity, and a gardener, but it also helps you to burn some serious calories. For example, a 35-year-old female who weighs 135 pounds and stands 5 feet four inches can burn up to 259 calories by mowing the lawn for one hour. A 35-year-old male who weighs 200 pounds and stands 6 feet tall can burn up to 374 calories. That is some serious calorie burning, and it's from chores you have to do anyway.

Wash your car. Nobody pays attention to details when it comes to cleaning like you do. Instead of taking your car to the car wash, wash it yourself at home. Hose spraying and using the sponge to wash your car is a great workout for your upper body. Depending on how much you have to scrub, it can be a workout for your lower body as wellthe dirtier your car, the more muscle you have to put into scrubbing it. You can burn about 100 calories, and you'll have a clean car to troll around town in too.

Choose your parking space wisely. When you head to the grocery store, the mall, or are running other errands pick the parking space that is farthest from the building. Not only will you burn 5-10 calories for a brisk 2-minute walk each way, but you'll also avoid dents and scratches to your recently washed car. Carry your own groceries back to the car. If you can't carry it all in one trip, make multiple trips. Leave the grocery bagger and the cart in the store.

Don't let a lack of time keep you from a healthy lifestyle. Use your daily chores as a means to burn calories and shed fat. Since most of these activities have to be done a couple times a week, it's like heading to the gym for a workout, but without the added time or expense.

About the author

Carlos Regueira is a Miami-based NFPT Certified Personal Trainer passionate about helping men and women build the bodies they want. Carlos is the editor of the Building Better Bodies Fitness blog, which is devoted to sharing health, nutrition, and fitness information. Carlos will be offering personal on-site training sessions, bootcamps, and other fitness and training programs in South Florida-in the Miami metro area-coming in the Spring of 2010. Stay tuned for a variety of nutritional program information; Miami , Miami Beach, Hialeah, and Pembroke Pines bootcamps; small group and private training sessions at your location, and more. Follow Carlos' blog at http://www.buildingbetterbodiesfitness.com.

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