... Burn more calories and improve your health quickly and easily? Here’s a NEAT idea...
Dr. Mary Jayne Rogers
It’s kind of annoying for those of us who exercise regularly to be thrown into that “higher risk” category. After all, aren’t we getting plenty of exercise and trying to eat healthfully?
Well, don’t be discouraged. There’s a NEAT way to change these statistics. NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. HA! You can see why they shortened it to NEAT.
It’s a really easy and interesting concept. I go into it in more detail in my book, From Overwhelmed to Inspired. The idea is to sneak more movement in throughout the day. I prefer to call it moving mindfully.
Here’s the really cool thing. As it turns out, not only does intermittent activity throughout the day decrease risk of all causes of death, it has also been shown to lower blood glucose levels, thereby helping to control insulin levels and, depending on the typed of NEAT done throughout the day, improve blood lipid profiles (e.g. decrease triglycerides and LDL).
AND..
…Engaging in NEAT can burn an additional 350 calories per day! While that doesn’t seem like much, assuming you don’t spoil that net loss with a small mocha latte, in 10 days you will have burned an additional 3500 calories – which is equal to one pound of fat.
How does one do NEAT?
There are a couple of keys to getting the results that I mentioned above. One is to make sure you stop sitting and do something every half hour. That means you need to set some kind of timer to remind you to get up and move. Ideally, you could have your computer go dark and give you the message to move. But you can set a timer on your cell phone, or an alert on your calendar, use a stop watch or just for added beautiful Feng Shui, you can place a lovely “half-hour” glass on your desk to remind you to move when the sand trickles to empty.
Just about any kind of movement counts, so use your imagination and find ways to move more.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Walk in place for three minutes. (Or walk to the cooler for a drink of WATER).
- Touch opposite elbow to opposite knee 10 times on each leg. (This cross-body movement helps stimulate mental acuity).
- Heel raises 10 times.
- Bored? Tap your toes and/fingers
- Stand up and sit down 10 times.
- Pace when on the telephone.
- At times throughout the day, swap your chair for a fitball. On your 30 minute-NEAT-break, bounce for three minutes (This helps stimulate lymph drainage).
- Desk or wall-pushups 10 times.
- BREATHE. While standing inhale – bring the arms overhead. Exhale arms down. Repeat 10 times (This helps lower blood pressure and heart rate).
- Take “walking meetings” rather than seated.
These are just a few ideas. I am confident you can come up with some fun and interesting ideas of your own. Send me an email at BeWell@doctormaryjayne.com and let me know what innovative ideas you come up with.
Until next time,
Keep moving & Be well!