Research has shown that laughing increases both heart rate and
calorie expenditure by up to 20 per cent*. The longer participants
laughed, the greater the effects, so make sure you have fun when
you're out!
*Buchowski, European Congress on Obesity,
2005.
Exercise without even realising it
Why not suggest a game of action charades tonight? Split into 2
teams and write out cards for the opposing team. Each card has to
be an action, such as 'climbing', 'hula-hooping', 'mountain
climbing', etc. Try to do as many as possible in 1 minute before
changing with the next member on your team. The team with the most
correct at the end wins.
Dancing is a great way to exercise
Who knew you could exercise while enjoying a party? Having a
dance is a great way to burn calories and tone up. Just 30 minutes
of jigging around can burn up to 150 calories - so get on the dance
floor tonight and let your hair down. Get the DJ to play some
energetic favourites. ('Footloose', anyone?)
Standing still burns calories
Instead of heading straight for a chair once you have your
drink, double your calorie expenditure by standing for half an hour
chatting instead. Make sure to keep your weight evenly distributed
on both feet with your shoulders back for maximum benefit. 30
minutes standing can burn up around 50 calories as opposed to half
that when sitting. Every little bit counts.
Inner thigh toning
If you're sitting in the pub sit tall and squeeze your thighs
together as hard as you can and hold for 10 seconds. Relax, then
repeat up to 5 times. Try to relax the rest of your body as you
squeeze - you don't want to give away your secret toning. And as
always, do be careful to drink sensibly and keep well hydrated with
lots of non-alcoholic fluids through the bight.