What counts as exercise?

Sometimes we can get hung up on the definition of "working out" and may miss some opportunities to burn calories during our every day lives.

Anything that heightens your heart rate will burn more calories than sitting still with a slower heart rate. There are countless ways to burn a few calories here and there throughout your day that can add up to hundreds of extra calories burned per week, equating to pounds lost. Here are some simple ideas on how to get the most workout out of your day:

-Take the stairs instead of standing still on an elevator. Your legs and butt will thank you!
-Use a walking lawn mower instead of driving one around.
-While vacuuming, lunge forward with your right foot and push the vacuum out further than you normally would, then return to standing and bring the vacuum to your side. This works your legs and arms. Just make sure to switch arms/legs every few reps.
-While washing the windows, dishes, or looking in the fridge for something to eat, do calf raises (raise your heels off the floor and hold, return to flat feet. repeat).
-Skip from room to room while getting ready in the morning
-Turn up your favorite 3 songs in a row and dance! Hop around, flail your arms, do 'the pony'...whatever you want to release tension and squeeze 10 minutes of cardio into your day.
-Park towards the back of the parking lot and speed walk up to the store. Repeat on your return trip to the car. Especially if you're running several errands in a row, this can help keep your heart guessing, resulting in more calories burned throughout your day.

Feel free to comment with more ideas on how to burn a few calories throughout the day!