Easy ways to shed calories

WE get it. The gym isn’t for everyone. Sometimes, exercise can be boring. So our sister publication, No. 1 Magazine, has some pain-free ideas to help you burn 300 calories – the equivalent of a big slice of apple pie.

Elbow grease

INSTEAD of breaking up your chores into 10-minute slots, spend an hour doing some vigorous cleaning, such as vacuuming, mopping floors, wiping down skirting boards and scrubbing the cooker and you’ll easily burn 300 calories as a reward for your effort.

On your bike

HEAD to a local park and cycle around it at a fast pace for 25 minutes, or at a more moderate rate for 45 minutes. You’ll soon shake off those calories while getting a good dose of fresh air.

Learn a new skill

CHECK out if your swimming pool offers snorkelling lessons. While you’re learning something new you’ll barely notice that, during a 45-minute class, you will have worked off that apple pie. An added bonus is you’ll know exactly what you’re doing when your holiday rolls around!

Get social

ASK around to find out if any friends fancy starting an informal walking club. Pick one day a week when you can all spare an hour and arrange to get together for a walk and a chat. Keep up the pace for the entire 60 minutes and those 300 calories will vanish into thin air.

Worth the climb

HEAD out to the countryside and enjoy a gentle hike up a hill. You’ll be so busy enjoying the view you won’t even realise you’re working your body. Plus, it’ll be made all the more enjoyable when you stop off at a lovely country pub afterwards ... for a Diet Coke, of course!

By Emma Hayley Rinaldi

No. 1 magazine is Scotland’s only glamorous glossy featuring the latest trends in fashion, beauty, food, interiors and real-life stories.