Other ways to burn the calories ! NEAT !

So you’re not a fan of the gym or running 3 miles a day and even if you did you don’t have an hour a day to exercise anyway. No problem, there are other ways you can get your body moving without making it feel so “involved”, it’s called NEAT(Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis).

The concept of NEAT was proposed by Dr James Levine, who defines it as:

“…the energy expenditure of all physical activities other than volitional sporting-like exercise. NEAT includes all those activities that render us vibrant, unique and independent beings such as dancing, going to work or school, shoveling snow, playing the guitar, swimming or walking in the modern Mall.”

Here are a few suggestions to help you burn a few extra calories through NEAT :

·         Walk, walk, walk or at the very least stand. Studies show that standing burns between 10 and 50 more calories per hour compared to sitting. So if you work sitting down, find ways to stand, for instance; stand or pace while talking on the phone. Don’t talk on the phone? Then get up every 20 minutes and walk around, or do some stretches.

·         When possible don’t send interoffice e-mail or use internet messaging; instead, walk to the other person’s office and talk face to face.

·         Drink lots and lots of water. Water is good because it releases toxins, but in this case, guess what happens if you are sipping water throughout the day?? You are going to have to PEE at least once every couple hours which means you have to WALK to the bathroom !! If you are at work, make an effort and go to the restroom on another floor and use the stairs.. get creative.. walk !

·         Don’t carry your cell phone attached to your hip, leave it somewhere where you can easily hear it and walk to it whenever you need to use. This is GREAT if you are big on texts !!!!

·         Running errands? Park as far away as possible from your destination and enjoy the walk and don’t use drive-through banking or fast food—get out of the car and walk.

·         Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.

·         Preparing your own meals also helps you burn calories so; yes, even slicing your own tomatoes or mashing your own potatoes increases NEAT.

·         Put your alarm clock across the room instead of right beside the bed and start moving as soon as you get up.

·         Remember that doing a diet is not about restricting what you eat for a few days. It’s about making a decision to become healthy and to do that you must not only change what you eat but also your lifestyle. So start today, GET MOVING !!!