It’s no secret that exercise can help us feel better, sleep better, keep us healthier and help us live longer, too, but knowing that isn’t always enough to motivate us to hit the gym. But even if working out isn’t your thing, you can still make some tiny tweaks to your routine to build in more movement.
There’s even a name for optimizing movement into daily activities - non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT. “It includes all the movement we do throughout the day that isn’t part of a formal workout,” explains Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist known as the “Mobility Maker.” and it turns out, all these small actions add up to make a big difference in our daily energy use and health.
Here’s how to add more “movement snacks” or short bouts of activity to break up long periods of sitting, according to Santas and physical therapist Nicholas Rolnick.
- Do some squats or wall sits while your food is heating up - Or take a few laps around the office floor instead of standing there scrolling through your phone.
- Bike or walk to errands - If you can avoid driving and give your legs and heart a little workout, go for it.
- Take the stairs - Or if you take an escalator, walk up instead of just riding. And on the stairs, skip a stair or two for an extra challenge when you’re walking. Climbing more than five flights of stairs a day has been linked with a 7% to 9% lower risk of dying of all causes compared to not climbing stairs.
- Walk while you talk on the phone- Use your call to walk around the block or office building instead of sitting.
- Get active while watching your favorite show - Lift weights, do squats or other resistance exercises while enjoying it.
- Use a desk treadmill or walking pad - Break up sitting during your work day with a little walking in the office.
- Do calf raises while brushing your teeth - Squats or wall sits will also work here.
- Skip the shopping cart - Just carrying your groceries to the car can improve your fitness.
- Do chores faster - Vacuuming more quickly can raise your heart rate and get it done faster.
Source: CNN
Photo: Getty Images