5 Sneaky Little Ways To Burn Calories While Working

If you work full-time, it feels like most weeks, all you really have time for is work over anything else. So much so, that it's challenging to fit a lot of social plans and a solid fitness routine into your schedule. This is pretty frustrating when you have fitness goals in mind. Well, that's all about to change. We reached out to Tim Liu, CSCS, online fitness and nutrition coach, who shares some sneaky ways you can burn calories while working. Get ready to make your week productive in more ways than one. And next up, be sure to check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

Break for some desk pushups

man doing desk pushups to burn calories while working — Shutterstock

No gym time? No problem. Liu suggests taking a break between meetings throughout your day to perform some squats and desk pushups in your workspace. Keep a log, because you'll be pretty surprised at how your reps can add up throughout the week.

Take your phone calls outside while on a walk

woman walking and talking on phone outside, burn calories while working — Shutterstock

When it's time for phone calls, put on your sneaks, grab your earbuds, and take a walk outside. You can get in your daily steps pretty quickly while taking care of business and will feel quite accomplished. Besides, the fresh air will make you feel incredibly energized and ready to take on the next task at hand.

Fill any 10-minute gap with a "micro-workout"

woman does squat with dumbbells — Shutterstock

Liu recommends squeezing in 10-minute workouts—especially on your busy days. Why? Well, when you're busy, your fitness routine doesn't get the true love and dedication it deserves. But by performing a "micro-workout," as Liu refers to it, you can reap the health benefits of getting your sweat on in a short period of time.

The secret is to perform high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in a quick timeframe. Not only will you burn quite a few calories, but you can also reduce your chance of heart disease, enhance your blood pressure, and shrink visceral fat. Surprisingly, Kaiser Permanente reports performing an intense bit of exercise for just 1 minute during your 10-minute routine could yield the same benefits as working out at a moderate intensity for a full 50 minutes. Perform a few bodyweight movements, too, such as mountain climbers, pushups, and squats.

Perform walking lunges to get to another room or your car

man doing walking lunges to burn calories while working — Shutterstock

Another great suggestion? Whenever you have to walk to another room—or even to the car for your commute—perform walking lunges to get there. Liu also recommends when parking at the office or whenever you're at an appointment, park your vehicle further away from the office. This is a really solid way to get in extra steps, in addition to taking the stairs, whenever possible, rather than the elevator.

Use a stability ball for your desk chair

woman on stability ball desk chair to burn calories while working — Shutterstock

According to Liu, there are some pretty easy movements to get in with a stability ball chair. These can include squats to the chair, pushup holds, and plank extensions.

Liu advises, "It's important to take little breaks and to stand up regularly throughout the day because you're not burning any calories when you're sitting." He adds, "When you're sitting at your desk, you're considered sedentary. If your goal is fat loss and being active, you have to get moving."