Body Blog: 5 Easy Things That Will Change Your Body

By Jackelyn

Ever have one of those days where you were supposed to make an appearance at the gym but got caught up in a marathon study session and platefuls of tater tots instead? Yeah, me too. It’s called Saturday. But don’t beat yourself up about those less active days; compensate for them!

There are a lot of simple changes you can make in your life that will not only undo those lazy days, but really make a difference in your overall health and fitness. If you can do at least one per day, I guarantee that you’ll be making a positive change in your lifestyle. You ready for the easiest health advice of your life?

1. Take the stairs
Studies have shown that taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator will burn 2 times more calories. That makes sense, since taking the latter means just standing there and awkwardly not talking to the other people just standing there. Even if it’s just a few stories up to your next class, make the effort to walk there. If you don’t want to make the 6-story trek to your biology class, then start by taking the stairs down.  Any little effort makes a huge difference.

2. Replace your sweet chocolate craving with your favorite fruit
What’s stopping you from eating fruits? Most likely, the fact that you don’t have any around. Always keep a nice stash of healthy food in your fridge, just in case a snack attack pops in. It’s much healthier and you’ll feel a lot less guilty after you chow down. Now, I’m not telling you that an apple is going to satisfy you when all you want is a brownie, but I am saying that getting some fruit while you’re also getting some sweets will do your body good. For example, craving some major chocolate? Try fresh strawberries with a small drizzle of Nutella. You’ll fulfill that chocolate craving and secretly geta nice dose of Vitamin C!

3. Try holding your utensils with your non-dominant hand
As a right-handed person, holding a fork in my left hand forces me to eat slower because I’m not used to it. Since our bodies take about 20 minutes to digest food and realize its full, eating slower prevents us from overeating and indulging in extra calories. It may feel odd at first, but give it a go – it works!

4. Standing instead of sitting
If you’re one to take public transportation, you may feel like you just found the Golden Ticket when a seat finally opens up on the bus. Try changing your mindset and stand up instead. You can burn up to 10-15 more calories per hour because you’re constantly engaging your core muscles to stabilize yourself. Want extra points? Don’t grab onto anything and ride the bus waves!

5. Doing calf raises while waiting in line
Instead of standing idly while waiting for the front desk lady to hand you your transcript or the mail room guy to find that package of cookies your mom sent you for finals, try some nice and easy calf raises. These don’t attract as much attention and strange looks as lunges (trust me), but it’s still a great way to keep moving, burn calories, and tone your legs.