Burn Major Calories without the Gym

Whether you’re on a budget or need a more convenient workout routine, these 10 no-frills strategies will help you slim down anywhere

Lose More Weight at Home

Tempted to drop that pricey gym membership, but still trying to drop a few pesky pounds? Don’t stress—bringing the workout to you may yield even more success on the scale. In fact, one study found home exercisers lost 66% more weight than gym-goers, perhaps because of the added convenience. Read on for 10 ways to say farewell to flab—anywhere, anytime, with no fancy equipment needed.

Take the Stairs

Opting for the stairs instead of the elevator burns about 10 calories per minute, and doing it a few times a day can boost your fitness considerably in as little as 7 weeks, found a British researchers. When study authors had women trek up 199 stairs (a climb of just over 2 minutes) working up to 6 times over the course of their days, they boosted their healthy HDL cholesterol by 19% and lowered their heart rate by an average 7 beats per minute. Best of all, this is one workout that actually saves you time: When University of South Carolina at Aiken clocked workers taking either the stairs or the elevator as they went floor to floor, they found that the stairs were an average of 20 seconds faster per flight.

Grab a Partner (or an iPod) and Dance

Ballroom dancing can burn nearly 400 calories an hour—and you can do it in heels if you like. If you’re new to dance, look for classes at a local college or community center, or search for local groups and events at meetup.com [http://www.meetup.com/]. Prefer to shake your booty in private? “Thanks to iPods, you can move and groove anywhere,” says Jennifer Galardi, star of Dance off the Inches: Cardio Hip Hop. “Just crank up the tunes and let loose.”

Rake the Leaves

There are few better ways to embrace the fall foliage than jumping in a big pile of it. Grab a rake and burn nearly 300 calories an hour.

Walk the Dog

A whole slew of studies confirms what dog owners have known for years: It’s a lot harder to skip your workout when you have to answer to a set of sad puppy-dog eyes. A four-legged companion can ensure that you walk more consistently, melting pounds for good. You don’t need a leash to burn 200 calories an hour (or more if you pick up the pace), but that furry friend can be an awfully effective motivator.

Do Sidewalk Sprints

You don’t have to be a track star—or even win your age group at the local Turkey Trot—to benefit from speed workouts. Short, speedy bursts of running are hands down the best way to get a body that looks lean and defined, says Nabie Fofanah, a personal trainer at the Sports Club at Chelsea Piers in New York City as well as USA Track and Field certified track coach. That’s because speed work taps into your body’s fast-twitch muscles, burning maximum calories in minimum time. Simply mark a distance of about 50 paces on a sidewalk, quiet street, or stretch of relatively flat grass, and you’re set. After warming up thoroughly, run the distance at a pace just a notch below an all-out sprint. (You’ll be going fast, but feel like you have one more gear to go.) Rest for 30 seconds, then go again, aiming for 10 total sprints.

Get Your Game On

Take your pick of backyard games—touch football, soccer, even throwing a Frisbee—for the ultimate interval workout that’s so fun you’ll forget you’re burning more than 500 calories an hour. In one study, researchers found that previously sedentary novice soccer players burned twice the fat as study participants put on a jogging program, and they had so much fun they were more likely to stick with it too.

Play with Your Kids (or Borrow Some)

A trip to the playground can torch up to 340 calories—if you can keep up with the kids, that is.

Do a Commercial-Break Workout

Make the most of your TV time by squeezing in calorie burning during the ads with this living room-friendly routine from Amy Blackburn, a Nashville-based trainer certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Do each of the following moves for the length of one commercial (about 30 seconds): squats with hands in the air, triceps dips on couch, situps, pushups, jumping jacks.

Stand Up

It’s probably the easiest way to double your calorie burn, yet we still spend an average of 7.7 hours with our butts on a chair every day. To make matters worse, Missouri University researchers have found that too much sitting puts an enzyme that triggers fat burning into hibernation. Fire up fat burning by standing whenever you can—waiting at the doctor’s office, at your kids’ soccer game, even while on a conference call.