KARIBU MAISHANI

KARIBU MAISHANI

Saturday, May 15, 2010

That kind of low-grade activity


Fidget. Studies show that lean people fidget for about 150 minutes a day more than obese people do. That kind of low-grade activity (tapping feet and fingers, twirling hair, gesturing while speaking, etc.) can burn 350 calories a day, which translates into 10-30 pounds a year![1] It's called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), which is basically any movement that isn't intended as exercise. You can burn an extra 100-150 calories an hour by increasing NEAT.
Standing burns 50% more calories than sitting.[2] Stand while talking on the phone, using the computer, or reading the paper.
Pacing is even better. By pacing, you can burn 90 more calories an hour than if you were sitting still.[2] Make it a habit to pace whenever you use the phone.
Buy a work station or desk that you can stand at or, if you can, set up a desk over a treadmill. By walking 1 mile an hour while you work, you'll burn an additional 100 calories per hour which, if you do this for 2-3 hours a day, you could lose 44-60 pounds in a year. It's recommended that you start slowly, though, walking 15 minutes every hour and then increasing gradually. Alternatively, you can use a mini-stepper under a tall desk, or while watching TV to achieve the same results

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