Feeling the Winter Burn: Get Fit Winter weight tips

Swimming

NEXT time you pop down to the pool, you might consider ditching your usual stroke.

Freestyle burns around 500 calories an hour but by doing the butterfly stroke instead, you could boost that to 700 calories – as much as two large sausage rolls.

Try to limit rest periods too, which will keep your heart beating at a higher rate so you burn more calories. Also, use a float between your legs while you swim – it increases the calories burned and help you tone up too.

Extra tip: Do you live near an open air pool or the sea? Swimming in colder water will burn more calories as your heart works harder, a US study says.

Walking

YOU’LL typically burn around 300 calories an hour while walking – that’s enough to see off a couple of packets of crisps.

But simply varying the pace can help you use 20% more calories according to researchers.

Scientists identified that 8% of the energy used in walking comes from stopping and starting, and by changing speeds your legs make more effort, so you burn more calories.

You can also increase the amount of calories burned while you stroll by wearing a backpack and even by avoiding walking in a straight line, according to a study from Ohio State University in the US.

By trekking uphill you can increase your calorie burn by 60%.

Extra tip: Bend your elbows and pump those arms as you walk – it will enable you to burn 15% more calories.

Running

YOU can burn up to 600 calories an hour running but sadly, as your body gets used to it, you begin to burn fewer calories.

So try some intervals – a study found that subjects who ran hard for two minutes followed by three minutes at a lower intensity burned more calories in the 24 hours following their workout than those who did steady runs.

They also burned more fat. Try to head outdoors to do your runs. Researchers found that those running outside rather than on a treadmill burn 10% more calories.

Extra tip: Listen to music while you run. Researchers found it could boost calorie burn by 20%.

Cycling

A LEISURELY cycle at under 10mph for an hour comes in at about 300 calories an hour – the same as a large chocolate bar. A more intense session at 15mph could burn off 500 calories, or a burger.

One good tip is to keep pedalling on easy terrain rather than coasting. Shift up into a higher gear and keep those legs going round. You’ll burn twice as many calories.