Diet & Fitness 

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Burn more calories

Don’t worry. Any effort at exercise is better than none at all. First off, when your body uses energy it gives off heat measured in units called calories. On the other hand, food provides us with energy that is also measured in calories. As you can see, there’s a trade-off happening here. For example, jogging two miles may burn off that 200 calories worth of biscuits you ate the night before.

The truth is, you're burning calories all the time, whether you're exercising or not. You just burn them faster during (and right after) exercise. Twenty minutes of activity is a good goal to shoot for, but if you can't cope with that, start with 5 or 10 minutes and build up slowly. Or, try lowering your intensity to start.

You can also include little spurts of activity throughout your day for a cumulative effect. Try parking your car a few blocks farther away from your destination (a pain, but it does work), and take the stairs instead of the lift. Walking to your local supermarket is another great way to burn extra calories. You’ll be surprised how all your small gym-free activities can quickly add up to 20 minutes.

Don’t think of the gym as your enemy, though. If you add a bit of strength training to your daily programme, you’ll find that your body burns calories faster because muscle is active tissue and fat is not. This means you’ll not only begin to look better, but you’ll be burning more calories when you're just lounging around. Now, that’s something to think about next time you’re sitting in front of the telly.

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