By Nicole Zaybak Drepaniotis, MS, RD, CDN
Technology has had an enormous impact on our daily lives, in some ways good and in some ways not. One of the negative impacts it has had is reflected in our increasing weight and incidence of chronic diseases. Many people have office jobs and don’t do additional exercise after their workday, so it is easy to see how a sedentary lifestyle with an environment filled with food options can result in weight gain.
So What Can We Do?
NEAT = Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. This refers to the calories you use every day outside of any formal exercise session (casual walking, shopping, yard work, housework standing and talking)
For most people, NEAT accounts for about 30% of physical activity calories used daily. It can be as low as 15% for sedentary individuals and as high as 50% in highly active individuals. NEAT activities are where most people are going to be able to make positive and long-lasting changes.
Ways to Increase your NEAT…
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Wear a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps per day
- When walking, walk as fast as you can
- Park further away in the parking lot
- Stand instead of sitting and get up after sitting every 30 minutes
- Take a walk on your lunch break
- Sit on an exercise ball, stretch, or ride a stationary bicycle when watching TV at home
- During commercial breaks do abdominal crunches, jumping jacks, push-ups or simply get up and walk around
- Take a 10 minute walk in the morning and /or evening
- Do calf raises while getting ready in front of the bathroom mirror
- Instead of making piles around the house, put things back in their place right away
- Walk and talk when on the phone
- Carry your groceries inside the house one bag at a time
Nicole Zaybak Drepaniotis is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who has been practicing in the clinical and outpatient settings for the past 15 years, specializing in Bariatrics and Weight Management.