Fidgeting for Fitness?
Wednesday July 29 2009posted by Adam - Total Comments: 0
A post yesterday on Lifehacker discussed NEAT Activities and how they help people lose weight. NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenisis.
They reference research done at the Mayo Clinic, which was highlighted in a recent article in the Washington Post. The research shows that healthy-weight people tend to fidget much more than overweight people, to the tune of about 350 calories per day!
When I took a diabetes course a couple years ago, the nurse tested one woman's blood sugar and found it to be a little high, so she used it as an example. She gave the woman a flexible exercise bar for 10 minutes. It really did not look much like exercise because she mostly fidgeted with it. They tested her blood sugar after the activity, and it had dropped a couple dozen points. Even at low levels, exercise is a great way to reduce glucose readings in the short term, but if you keep it up, it looks like it may help keep your weight down in the long term.
So feel free to let loose a little and tap your foot to the music, talk with your hands and twirl your hair. Every little bit counts toward NEAT Activities.