Studies have shown that exercising regularly isn’t enough.  People who live an otherwise sedentary lifestyle are at greater risk of heart disease than their fidgety counterparts.

Getting out of your chair can be a challenge when you have a desk job, but with these tips, I hope you can at least double your “nonexercise activity thermogenesis” (NEAT).  All sorts of movements count, but only to varying degrees.  Obviously, tapping your foot won’t have the same caloric effect as taking a walk to the water cooler, for example.

Some interesting statistics for your motivation:

A chair-bound office worker may expend a mere 300 NEAT calories, while a cashier could expend around 1400 NEAT calories.

Two adults of the same size and build can have a difference in energy expenditure of as much as 2000 calories in a day, based mainly on how much incidental movement occurs.

(IDEA Fitness Journal, May 2015)

Here is a list of NEAT ways to get more movement into your day:

1.  Pacing

2.  Use the stairs

3.  Park furthest from the entrance

4.  Be inefficient.  For example:  make several trips while putting away the laundry.

5.  Tapping your toes

6.  Bouncing your heels

7.  Housework

8.  Pulling weeds

9.  Standing to read email

10.  Sit on an exercise ball, when you need to be seated

11.  Do isometric exercises while you watch TV

12.  Practice balance while waiting in the checkout line

13.  Set a timer to stand and move every 20 minutes

14.  Walk the block during your lunch break

15.  Stand (or pace) while you are on the phone

16.  Wash your car

17  Be helpful (for example:  offer to get supplies for a coworker)

18.  Take a stretch break when you get stumped (I just did!)

19.  Seated dancing…from a shoulder shimmy to the air guitar.  It makes work fun too!  

20.  Just feel free to be fidgeting.  Its good for you!

Comment below with any ideas of your own.  Now that I’m no longer on my feet for 12 hours a day, as a nurse, I need to up my NEAT as much as anyone.