Five ways to burn more calories

If you’re trying to lose weight, you’re constantly looking for ways to cut out calories. Why not burn them instead? Exercising is an important part of any healthy lifestyle, and there are many different ways that you can burn more calories while working out:

1. Use intervals
When running on your home treadmill, try out some interval training to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. By increasing your incline or speed for a spurt of high-intensity exercise, followed by a more moderate speed, you’ll increase the amount of calories you burn considerably.

2. Modify push-ups
If you’re getting bored with your workout, your body is, too. Instead of doing regular push-ups, reach for a stability ball, turn it upside down (so the flat side is facing up), grip the sides and try a few push-ups. It will force your muscles to work harder to help you maintain your balance.

3. Use your elliptical properly
Because elliptical machines are so easy to use, we often think that if we’re pedaling hard enough, we’ll lose weight. However, if you truly want to burn major calories from your elliptical workout, you should be pedaling at an intensity that makes it tough to say more than a few words at a time.

4. Try chair squats
Transform your squats by using a chair! Keep your feet shoulder width apart, engage your abs and hold a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand. Slowly lower your body to the chair, pause, then slowly stand up. This move works your glutes and quads and takes stress off of your knees.

5. Circuit training
The best way to burn more calories is to confuse your muscles, which is why circuit training is so effective. It keeps your metabolism elevated so you can reap the benefits of your workout for many hours afterward.