From the first day we are sent to grade school we are introduced into a society where the norm is to sit the majority of the day.  We are programmed when we are little that the best way to learn and focus in school is to sit with your eyes forward in class.  If you made any movement from your “Indian sitting” it would result in a punishment, and if you moved around too much you would be sent to the principal’s office.  If you look around your office right now you can clearly see that this habit of sitting the majority of the day is still the norm for you and everyone around you.  “Sitting disease” is a leading cause for America’s obesity problem says James Levine of Mayo clinic and “people would lose weight if they did more walking, standing and moving around during the day.”

Dr. Levine’s whole concept of Non-Exercise-Activity-Thermogenesis (NEAT) is about increasing your daily regular movement throughout the day to burn more calories.  NEAT includes activities such as walking to lunch, pacing while on the phone, cleaning the house, cooking, climbing stairs, standing while you talk to a friend, and even folding laundry.  “NEAT is a crucial part of people’s total calorie expenditure but it has been leeched out of people’s lives, robbing them of using 1,500 to 2,400 calories a day and contributing to excess weight and obesity” says Levine.

Levine’s research has many interesting eye-opening facts in regards to calorie loss.  Did you know that a-desk-bound man or woman takes only 5,000 to 6,000 steps a day in comparison to 18,000 steps a day for the average man and 14,000 for a woman in an Amish community? It’s clear to see that technology is partly to blame for America’s obesity problem as Levine labels your alarm clock, cell phone, black berry, home computer, microwave, remote control, electric tooth brush, snow blower and riding lawn mower as NEAT- squelching devices.

The main point that Levine emphasizes is that we need to move more throughout the day.  Levine claims that expending calories through the activities of daily living is actually more important for calorie burning then intense exercise.  “Simple examples include a quick walk around the block before your morning shower; a 30-minute walk at lunch; having a couple of walk-and-talk meetings during the day (research shows you’ll think better); pacing when you’re talking on the phone; taking a 15-minute catch-up walk after work with your partner; walking with your children and listening to their music with them; doing some active volunteering such as taking a stressed mom’s children out for a walk or bringing a meal to an elderly person.”

Did you know that when your body starts to fidget from sitting down it is actually screaming at you to get you up and move!  Our bodies were meant to roam free and always be on the move. However, our environment suppresses and discourages this freedom with sofas and chairs in every room of the house, television, video games, and microwavable dinners.  I dare you to move more, turn off the TV for a day, park at the farthest spot away from your work, and spread the word that moving more throughout the day will take the pounds away!

Sources

http://getbetterhealth.com/mayo-clinics-dr-jim-levine-on-how-neat-health-can-be/2010.09.19

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-01-21-fidget-activity_N.htm

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