Get moving during your favourite TV shows, skip, dance, go up and down some stairs, run on the spot—anything that gets your heart rate up so you feel somewhat breathless, Do it for each 2-minute break during a typical 2-hour TV night and you'll burn an extra 270 calories a day—which can translate to a 28-pound weight loss in a year.

Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to “use it or lose it.” The more you work your brain, the better you will be able to process and remember information. The best brain exercising activities break your routine and challenge you to use and develop new brain pathways. Try changing the way you approach something; try a new route if you are walking the dog, or try changing the days on which you do things at home. Activities that require using your hands are a great way to exercise your brain.