© Welore, Iclihs rsre. References 1. Cntes fr Deae Cntoneetin1xecsr pscl atiiy. Ntinaer fr Hlh Sttitis Fo 2. Daz, Kt a. (20tetil eetn mraiy oelcneeay tie wthreeay bus ohyiacvt: A naol chrtd American Journal of Epidemiology , 18(3): 5-4. Frm: 3 Vlalna, P., el15). Nnxecscvthronss ibstnamnt Mayo Clinic Proceedings , 9(4): 59519. Fo 4 Cn, Nt a. (20o-xecscvthronss (NATopnnt otl diy eegxedtr , 2-30. Frm: 6 things to kow abu NEAT Oronarirhyc atvto mrxuss The NEAT Way to Improve Your Health If a typical workout isn’t your thing, or your schedule really is kind of crazy, how are you going to sit less, move more, and be more active to be healthy? There’s a NEAT way to do it. It’s called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. 3 It’s the energy you use and calories you burn when you do anything. Sure, it takes effort to take the stairs, walk through the grocery store, move furniture, or play with your kids. But even singing, laughing, and cleaning your house are NEAT activities. At Home n Clean the kitchen like your guests are showing up any minute. n Vacuum. No the robot-vacuum doesn’t count. n Rearrange your furniture. n Take Fido for a walk. n Take out the garbage. n Fold laundry standing up. Then race to put it away. n Walk to the neighbor’s house instead of texting. n Exercise during TV ads (push-ups, jumping jacks, running in place). Use the NEAT factor to bn cois Research shows increasing NEAT activity level can help:4 ✔ Control blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes ✔ Improve cholesterol levels ✔ Burn calories ✔ Lower blood pressure ✔ Increase metabolism ✔ Reduce the risk for heart disease ✔ Support weight management ✔ Strengthen the heart, lungs, and muscles 21 NEAT Ways to Be More Active No-time-to-exercise excuses, be gone! Even if you’re too busy to hit the gym, there are a lot of NEAT ways to be more active, sit less, and move more. At Work n Stand up and stretch every hour. n Always take the stairs n Use a stand-up desk most of the time n Go for a walk and hold a meeting at the same time n Walk to deliver a message to a co-worker instead of sending an e-mail. n Walk back and forth when you’re on the phone or thinking Out and About n Park far away when you go to the store. n Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. n Walk a lap around the store before you start shopping. n Turn shopping into a race, and find your items as fast as possible. n When you can, carry your groceries instead of using a cart. n Go inside instead of using the drive-thru. n Stand while waiting for a ride or meeting. Improve your health with NEAT activity If you spend a lot of time sitting at work, in the car, on the couch, or at the dinner table, you need to find a way to be more active. Even if you’re short on time for exercise. Walking 500 miles a week like Weston and O’Leary probably isn’t going to happen. Still, you can be more active and improve your health with NEAT activities.