The link between extra pounds and the planet
Want to help your waistline and the planet this year? The solution is simple: drive one mile less each day.
That's according to a recent study published online in the journal Preventive Medicine. Researchers estimate that reducing our driving distance by one mile every day can yield a 0.21 drop in our body mass index (BMI) over six years. That's comparable to eating 100 fewer calories per day, which yields a 0.16 drop in BMI over three years. In other words, the study authors note, driving less can be as effective as eating less where weight loss is concerned.
Make a conscious effort to score more physical activity—and guzzle less gasoline—by plotting the errands you can accomplish on foot every week. Plus, combine more walking with these four subtle measures to add physical activity or trim calories, and you'll sizzle off pounds without even noticing:
Climb three extra flights. Have a choice between riding and climbing? Including 2 to 3 minutes of stair climbing per day—covering about three to five floors—can burn enough calories to prevent the average American's annual weight gain of 1 to 2 pounds.
Skip fancy coffee. A regular cup with a dash of milk and even a little sugar has fewer calories than blended drinks, which are basically dessert in a cup. One recent study found that servings of coffee or tea average about 63 calories (including milk and sugar), while fancier drinks average a whopping 239 calories. A daily habit can translate to an 18-pound gain over a year.
Get technical support. Exercising with a friend makes you more accountable, but you don't always need to sweat next to someone else: One study found that women who had some variety of social support, either through in-person counseling or an online chat group, lost more than 15 pounds over a 9-month period, dropping about 300 calories from their daily diet and walking about a mile more each day than they did at the study's starting point.
Drop and give us 10. Before you pry open that tub of ice cream, do 10 sit-ups or push-ups. Doing something physical, even for a few seconds, can restore your connection to your body—and to your goals.
More from Prevention: 100 Tricks To Lose Weight
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Published January 2013, Prevention