Welcome to January. A month of hopeful resolutions; optimistic gym memberships and renewals; reluctant crawls back to work and lingering regrets over saying "yes" to second helpings all holiday season. And as so many of us make New Year's resolutions to shed a few kilograms (at least to get back to the same shape we were at the end of November), here's a few suggestions on how you can burn some calories and keep your possessions and yourself safe this year .
Clean the gutters before the rains come
Getting up on a ladder to check the state of your gutters and clean out any old leaves will not only reduce your risk of water damage, but you'll also burn 172 calories while you're at it (that's half a burger gone already).
Reduce the rush on the road
Always speeding to make the next meeting or get the kids to school on time? Well, driving burns around 130 calories an hour so leaving early, slowing down and spending more time behind the wheel may not be as bad as it sounds. In addition to a light workout (yes really) you'll also give yourself more time to watch out for hazards and other (less cautious) road users. While you're in the car, it's also useful to know that just putting on your seatbelt burns 15 calories and walking round to the boot of the car to put your phone out of reach will burn 12 more; every little bit helps.
Catch up with the neighbours
While everyone is still feeling friendly from the holiday season, pop over and say hi to your neighbours, swap phone numbers and ask them to listen out for your alarm or barking dogs. Having the people around you looking out for your property is one of the best crime deterrents around. And if you refuse all offers of tea, biscuits and staying for a braai, you'll have burnt off around 78 calories, just from the walking. The neighbours will be commenting on your new trim self any moment now.
Install a fire alarm
If you have the kind of hi-tech security system that would impress the CIA, but not even the most basic fire alarm - now's the time to get back up that ladder and install one. It could save lives and at the very least you'll have taken off 86 calories in the process.
You'll also find some more handy suggestions in our latest radio ad, have a listen.
Have a great year and please Be Safe Out There!
Please note calorie figures are approximate and have been sourced from http://www.livescience.com/40524-how-many-calories-am-i-burning-infographic.html