6. Incorporate strength training into your routine
Basic bodyweight exercises, like squats and push-ups, are a simple way to build more metabolism-revving muscle in minutes at home without picking up a single weight. “Your muscles don’t know the difference between working against your body’s own resistance and on a fancy piece of equipment,” says Wayne Westcott, PhD, fitness research director at Quincy College. “The one rule to follow is that each exercise should fatigue your muscles within 60 to 90 seconds,” he says. For extra burn, you can add an resistance band to basic moves.
Try this mini-workout: Do 10 reps each of knee push-ups, squats, crunches, lunges, and chair dips. Then gradually increase the number of reps it takes for your muscles to feel fully fatigued.
7. Use the stairs whenever possible
Have a choice between riding and climbing? Adding two to three minutes of stair climbing per day–covering about three to five floors–can burn enough calories to eliminate the average American’s annual weight gain of one to two pounds a year. Walking up a flight of stairs can also help strengthen your glutes and quads, so there are some strength training benefits as well.
8. Use a fitness tracker
Today’s fitness trackers allow you to take more control over your health by providing you with important data about your eating, sleep, and workout habits. Consider purchasing a fitness tracker to help you monitor not just how many steps you’re taking each day, but how many calories you’re burning, how much sleep you’re getting, what your resting heart rate is, and what your eating habits are like. It’ll also help you stay on track with sticking to the goal of getting 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week.