Meditation and yoga may not burn as many calories as a tough session on the treadmill, but they might be the most effective activity you can do if you want to lose weight, according to recent studies. Experts believe that relaxing might be the key to successfully battling the bulge because it can help eliminate your cravings for fatty and sugary foods.

The reason why is pretty simple: "By learning and practising relaxation techniques as part of a wider lifestyle change programme, women have effective tools to manage stress and emotions without resorting to unhealthy eating," says Dr. Caroline Horwath of the University of Otago in New Zealand. And, according to the findings, weight loss achieved through relaxation was maintained in the long run -- which is not true of most dieting approaches.

So relax! Of course, by that, we mean take some time to yourself to do something healthy. Relaxing in front of the TV with a jumbo-sized bag of chips doesn't count.