Weight loss: Super simple ways you can lose weight while sitting | The Times of India (2024)

While a lot of people didn't have the healthiest lifestyle before the pandemic, working from home and leading a sedentary lifestyle have made matters worse. Apart from reduced activity, more binge-eat sessions and sluggish days, many people are battling the 'lockdown weight gain'.

Even as COVID scare continues to keep many inside the home, there are some simple steps you can take to keep your weight under check. No! We are not kidding. Here are five super simple and easy steps to lose weight while sitting.

P.S.- They are all science-backed measures to burn calories! Thank us later!

Our bodies burn calories in different ways, whether at rest or being physically active. Aside from working out more and eating a healthy, calorie-conscious diet, one way to achieve caloric deficit is to boost your metabolic rate during times when you’re not working out— and these hacks help you do just that!

A good posture keeps back problems at bay but also promotes effective weight loss while you sit. Confused?

When you sit up straight, you are going to minimally workout muscles in the upper body, shoulders and the back. This, in a way, helps strengthen the core and promotes calorie burning, since you exert pressure in maintaining a straight back. Even simply engaging your muscles while at rest can help. And when you don't, switch, stand up or take a walk. A Swiss study also claimed that doing so may also increase the rate of fat oxidation in the body.

So go ahead, tighten your abs, straighten your spine and sit upright to keep the extra weight off.

Just because you sit doesn't mean you cannot perform desk exercises. Being physically active, or exercising your core muscle groups could be a great way to reduce the side-effects of a largely sedentary lifestyle.

From fun desk exercise equipment, easy stretches, or doing variations of exercises like crunches, pushups and the seat squats can make up for amazing hacks to stay fit.

Using an exercise ball can also help tone your lower body and burn more calories at rest.

Breathing exercises, or doing yoga while you sit and work can also make for an effective weight loss exercise.

You can also consider using a stability ball to strengthen core muscles and swap out your desk chair.

Being in a chilly environment may do you some good. Several experts suggest that colder temperatures activate the repository of brown fat in the body, which keeps metabolism high and works in burning fat stored in and around your belly area, hence, increasing energy expenditure (burn more calories) while sitting.

A study made in Diabetes also found that participants who spent time in a colder controlled environment have higher brown fat reactivity than those who spent time in warmer settings. They also showed improved rates of insulin sensitivity.

Healthy eating and mindful snacking aside, you should be focussing on staying hydrated through the day. Simply increasing your water intake through the day can be crucial to losing weight.

Not only does water help flush out toxins from the body, it also regulates your digestion. Having 0.5-1 Litres of water every day increases the energy expenditure at rest, simply meaning that you burn calories faster. Even if you don’t make any other changes, this can be a good enough start.

More so, it's a zero-calorie drink. So you don't have to count the calories you are taking in.

It might seem a little silly, but genuine laughter can help you shed calories faster. Not only does laughter make you happy and keep the stress away, but it also contributes to some calorie burning. An NCBI study from 2007 observed that genuine laughter raised heart rate and energy expenditure at rest by a good 10-20%, making you capable of burning 20-40 more calories than you usually would.

While the activity cannot be forced every hour of the day, consider bringing in a little humour into your routine. From comedy shows, talking to your friends or reading a funny comic, make sure to do things which make you happy and relaxed. Being happy is also going to ward off stress levels and keep you healthier in the long run.