Toning Up: How to Get more Movement into your Day
Looking for a way to keep your metabolism humming throughout the day to help with weight loss?
We’ve got you covered!
If you made it to the Toning Up workshop, you know that when you’re trying to lose weight, one of the biggest barriers is that our metabolism tends to slow down in order to compensate for the smaller amount of calories that we’re giving ourselves.
However, N.E.A.T., or “non-exercise activity thermogenesis” is one way that you can avoid weight-loss plateaus. Read below more about NEAT and how you can incorporate more movement into your day so that your body feels better and you can keep your metabolism burning during a weight-loss phase.
Using N.E.A.T. to get more Movement into your work Day
#1. What is NEAT?
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) is a combination of all of the energy that we expend during the day when we’re not exercising or sleeping. This includes activities like giving presentations, walking to work, playing with our kids, making breakfast, yard work, typing at our computers, and even fidgeting.
NEAT activities can actually account for up to 30 percent of our daily energy expenditure, making it critical for weight loss and body composition, possibly even more important than exercise!
#2. Where can I incorporate extra movement during day to increase N.E.A.T.?
The options here are endless!
Here are a few of our favorites:
- Get down on the floor to play with your kids
- Go to a store to shop rather than ordering online
- Take the stairs, or walk around at the airport while waiting for flights
- Spread your household chores throughout the week so you get some extra movement in each day!
- Walk around the house while you’re on the phone
- Invite a friend to coffee AND a walk
- Play a hide and seek, a game of tag, or kick around a soccer ball with your kids instead of watching a movie
#3. If I’m a desk-worker, how can I get more N.E.A.T. movement in?
The options here are a little more limited, but not as impossible as you think.
Here are our favorites:
- Movement snacks: set a timer to mobilize and get bloodflow to two different joints every hour
- Fill your water bottle only halfway to encourage you to get up and fill it more frequently!
- Take a walking meeting with a colleague
- Alternate between sitting and standing at your desk
- Take a 10 minute walk at lunch
- Fidget more! Move your legs, change your posture often, spin in your chair
For specific movement ideas, follow along with the video as Dr. Megan leads you through a Desk Mobility session!
Remember, you can work with one of our professional health coaches to develop a nutrition plan by signing up for a 1-on-1 session here .
If you missed the workshop on muscle building and fat loss, you can catch the replay on our site!
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