NEAT strategies at work
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What is NEAT?
As someone else pointed out, NEAT = Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
What it means is all the movements you tend to make throughout the day but don't notice. Basically any movement you make that isn't for the purpose of "exercise". Bouncing your knee while you sit, standing up and stretching occasionally, shaking your head, tapping your fingers on your desk. Things like that make up a pretty surprising amount of your calorie expenditure during a typical day.
And on another note, standing desks aren't going to do much for calorie expenditure. I think there was a study done that showed you burn about 0.15 calories a minute more standing. That means, on average, you'll burn 54 more calories if you spend 6 hours a day standing instead of sitting. Apparently our bodies are pretty efficient at standing. There may be other benefits to your health if you stand instead of sit but that's outside my area of knowledge.2 -
What is NEAT?
As someone else pointed out, NEAT = Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
What it means is all the movements you tend to make throughout the day but don't notice. Basically any movement you make that isn't for the purpose of "exercise". Bouncing your knee while you sit, standing up and stretching occasionally, shaking your head, tapping your fingers on your desk. Things like that make up a pretty surprising amount of your calorie expenditure during a typical day.
And on another note, standing desks aren't going to do much for calorie expenditure. I think there was a study done that showed you burn about 0.15 calories a minute more standing. That means, on average, you'll burn 54 more calories if you spend 6 hours a day standing instead of sitting. Apparently our bodies are pretty efficient at standing. There may be other benefits to your health if you stand instead of sit but that's outside my area of knowledge.
Not true about the standing desk. They can burn up to 30% more calories vs sitting in some studies.0 -
psychod787 wrote: »umbramirror wrote: »I am predominantly at my desk during the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. I get up multiple times during the day, of course, but I am trying to think of ways to increase NEAT while I'm here.
There are moments throughout the day that I often have some "down time" and I feel the urge to do some activity. I used to take about a half hour walk around town after lunch, which felt great. Now that it has been getting colder, I haven't been able to do my usual walk. The walk didn't only help with my activity level but also, it helped me digest my food more efficiently.
Now after lunch, I find myself stuck with what to do. There aren't really any large areas inside the office building to walk around so I'm not sure what to supplement. Do any of you have any suggestions of some light activity that I could do post lunch to help aid with digestion that also be done in work clothes?
(I'm a female that often wears skirts and such)
Also, any suggestions for how to increase NEAT while at work would be helpful.
Thanks!
I spend most of my days trying to escape from my evil thoughts.. 😈 lol I think that adds like 4000 steps a day. Well... you could wear more pants, unless your jobs requires skirts. Will your work allow a under desk cycle? If they do, that can add up quickly. I park further away from work. If I have to go to the store during my off time, i do the same. I dont have to fight people for spots is a bright side. There is active commuting. Drive to a certain place and then either walk or bike the rest of the way into work if it is safe. Or, just become a nurse! All the walking you can handle!
Ah, totally forgot about that! I'm a marathon runner in that category. Gold medalist. *Dusts off shoulder.* I COULD wear more pants but I like wearing skirts sometimes. I'm just fancy like that.
lol I think they would allow an under desk cycle. I'm considering getting one actually since a previous poster mentioned it. I like the idea. Now I can fuel my evil thoughts training even more... watching them fly by... ah... I definitely have to find a place to walk indoors that isn't too far away. I don't want to waste time driving. Must consider. 2 -
@umbramirror it works for me! It also keeps me warmer in my office which can be chilly. At first I was hesitant about the cost but it's really well made and completely silent under my desk, and like I said I've had it about 2 years and it's worked great the whole time. According to the digital read out, I burn about 260 calories an hour pedaling it. So clearly not intense, but much more so than just sitting on my butt.1
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Is your own office area private? I am fortunate enough to have a private space at work available to do an indoor walking type of workout at lunch break on days it's too horrible outside. I favour Jessica Smith TV, but there's Leslie Sansone too.3
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umbramirror wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »umbramirror wrote: »I am predominantly at my desk during the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. I get up multiple times during the day, of course, but I am trying to think of ways to increase NEAT while I'm here.
There are moments throughout the day that I often have some "down time" and I feel the urge to do some activity. I used to take about a half hour walk around town after lunch, which felt great. Now that it has been getting colder, I haven't been able to do my usual walk. The walk didn't only help with my activity level but also, it helped me digest my food more efficiently.
Now after lunch, I find myself stuck with what to do. There aren't really any large areas inside the office building to walk around so I'm not sure what to supplement. Do any of you have any suggestions of some light activity that I could do post lunch to help aid with digestion that also be done in work clothes? (I'm a female that often wears skirts and such)
Also, any suggestions for how to increase NEAT while at work would be helpful.
Thanks!
I spend most of my days trying to escape from my evil thoughts.. 😈 lol I think that adds like 4000 steps a day. Well... you could wear more pants, unless your jobs requires skirts. Will your work allow a under desk cycle? If they do, that can add up quickly. I park further away from work. If I have to go to the store during my off time, i do the same. I dont have to fight people for spots is a bright side. There is active commuting. Drive to a certain place and then either walk or bike the rest of the way into work if it is safe. Or, just become a nurse! All the walking you can handle!
Ah, totally forgot about that! I'm a marathon runner in that category. Gold medalist. *Dusts off shoulder.* I COULD wear more pants but I like wearing skirts sometimes. I'm just fancy like that. lol I think they would allow an under desk cycle. I'm considering getting one actually since a previous poster mentioned it. I like the idea. Now I can fuel my evil thoughts training even more... watching them fly by... ah... I definitely have to find a place to walk indoors that isn't too far away. I don't want to waste time driving. Must consider.
Oh, I forgot, you're a CLASSY GAL! I knew you were evil. I am always looking for an apprentice. Together we could end the Jedi and rule the galaxy! Oh, on topic, I have been reading some research reviews on using weighted vest to help increase energy burns. Might not apply to your ability to use then at work, but could use one in your structured cardio.0 -
psychod787 wrote: »What is NEAT?
As someone else pointed out, NEAT = Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
What it means is all the movements you tend to make throughout the day but don't notice. Basically any movement you make that isn't for the purpose of "exercise". Bouncing your knee while you sit, standing up and stretching occasionally, shaking your head, tapping your fingers on your desk. Things like that make up a pretty surprising amount of your calorie expenditure during a typical day.
And on another note, standing desks aren't going to do much for calorie expenditure. I think there was a study done that showed you burn about 0.15 calories a minute more standing. That means, on average, you'll burn 54 more calories if you spend 6 hours a day standing instead of sitting. Apparently our bodies are pretty efficient at standing. There may be other benefits to your health if you stand instead of sit but that's outside my area of knowledge.
Not true about the standing desk. They can burn up to 30% more calories vs sitting in some studies.
I am not sure it actually matters if you are a person that only gets the 54 calories. Improving NEAT is all about the small numbers that add up.
I do think it is a mistake to add calorie numbers to the effort. If I choose to use a smaller cup for beverages which forces me to refill 1 or 2 extra times a day I don't really want to know that might add up to 10 calories because then it is more like exercise. I want to build on the mindless habit of walking to the water cooler that I was already doing. I don't want to be thinking about the calorie reward because then I am going to immediately weigh the hassle of the extra trips against the small calorie burn reward.0 -
@shorepine that's awesome! That's a pretty darn good burn for at the desk activity. Killer. I could use some warming up too... it's pretty chilly in my office. I usually put on my sweater and keep my hands under my butt periodically to keep my fingers warm when I'm not typing but this would be a lot more efficient!
@LivingtheLeanDream I have my own office where I could close my door and do some form of activity if I wanted to, but I really shouldn't do this too often because my superiors walk by often and may need my immediate assistance. Otherwise, no, our office is not very private in general and there isn't much open space. Your walking plan sounds good though!
@psychod787 you know, I always read your username as psychodr (as in psycho doctor) for some reason and even though that's obviously not your username, it kind of fits you... doesn't it? Apprentice... sorry, I'm no sidekick. I could use another partner in evil mischief though across the galaxy. It's getting kinda lonely messing stuff up on my own.
Someone else actually mentioned the idea of the weighted vest to me before. It's an interesting idea. I was thinking of using that for my calisthenics days to increase my resistance.1 -
psychod787 wrote: »What is NEAT?
As someone else pointed out, NEAT = Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
What it means is all the movements you tend to make throughout the day but don't notice. Basically any movement you make that isn't for the purpose of "exercise". Bouncing your knee while you sit, standing up and stretching occasionally, shaking your head, tapping your fingers on your desk. Things like that make up a pretty surprising amount of your calorie expenditure during a typical day.
And on another note, standing desks aren't going to do much for calorie expenditure. I think there was a study done that showed you burn about 0.15 calories a minute more standing. That means, on average, you'll burn 54 more calories if you spend 6 hours a day standing instead of sitting. Apparently our bodies are pretty efficient at standing. There may be other benefits to your health if you stand instead of sit but that's outside my area of knowledge.
Not true about the standing desk. They can burn up to 30% more calories vs sitting in some studies.
I am not sure it actually matters if you are a person that only gets the 54 calories. Improving NEAT is all about the small numbers that add up.
I do think it is a mistake to add calorie numbers to the effort. If I choose to use a smaller cup for beverages which forces me to refill 1 or 2 extra times a day I don't really want to know that might add up to 10 calories because then it is more like exercise. I want to build on the mindless habit of walking to the water cooler that I was already doing. I don't want to be thinking about the calorie reward because then I am going to immediately weigh the hassle of the extra trips against the small calorie burn reward.
I won't say it the greatest calorie burner as well, bbuttt, I believe the human body was never meant to sit like we do. If we look through our history, many societies did not sit even while they ate. They squatted. There is actually archeology that supports this. There are many issues that come from sitting too much. There are also studies that show people have better cognitive ability when using walking or standing desk.0 -
psychod787 wrote: »psychod787 wrote: »What is NEAT?
As someone else pointed out, NEAT = Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
What it means is all the movements you tend to make throughout the day but don't notice. Basically any movement you make that isn't for the purpose of "exercise". Bouncing your knee while you sit, standing up and stretching occasionally, shaking your head, tapping your fingers on your desk. Things like that make up a pretty surprising amount of your calorie expenditure during a typical day.
And on another note, standing desks aren't going to do much for calorie expenditure. I think there was a study done that showed you burn about 0.15 calories a minute more standing. That means, on average, you'll burn 54 more calories if you spend 6 hours a day standing instead of sitting. Apparently our bodies are pretty efficient at standing. There may be other benefits to your health if you stand instead of sit but that's outside my area of knowledge.
Not true about the standing desk. They can burn up to 30% more calories vs sitting in some studies.
I am not sure it actually matters if you are a person that only gets the 54 calories. Improving NEAT is all about the small numbers that add up.
I do think it is a mistake to add calorie numbers to the effort. If I choose to use a smaller cup for beverages which forces me to refill 1 or 2 extra times a day I don't really want to know that might add up to 10 calories because then it is more like exercise. I want to build on the mindless habit of walking to the water cooler that I was already doing. I don't want to be thinking about the calorie reward because then I am going to immediately weigh the hassle of the extra trips against the small calorie burn reward.
I won't say it the greatest calorie burner as well, bbuttt, I believe the human body was never meant to sit like we do. If we look through our history, many societies did not sit even while they ate. They squatted. There is actually archeology that supports this. There are many issues that come from sitting too much. There are also studies that show people have better cognitive ability when using walking or standing desk.
I do think it is a great calorie burner. I can't afford to think in terms of active things being too small to be worth the trouble. I want a higher activity multiplier and it is all the small stuff that matters.0 -
umbramirror wrote: »@shorepine that's awesome! That's a pretty darn good burn for at the desk activity. Killer. I could use some warming up too... it's pretty chilly in my office. I usually put on my sweater and keep my hands under my butt periodically to keep my fingers warm when I'm not typing but this would be a lot more efficient!
@LivingtheLeanDream I have my own office where I could close my door and do some form of activity if I wanted to, but I really shouldn't do this too often because my superiors walk by often and may need my immediate assistance. Otherwise, no, our office is not very private in general and there isn't much open space. Your walking plan sounds good though!
@psychod787 you know, I always read your username as psychodr (as in psycho doctor) for some reason and even though that's obviously not your username, it kind of fits you... doesn't it? Apprentice... sorry, I'm no sidekick. I could use another partner in evil mischief though across the galaxy. It's getting kinda lonely messing stuff up on my own.
Someone else actually mentioned the idea of the weighted vest to me before. It's an interesting idea. I was thinking of using that for my calisthenics days to increase my resistance.
Recent work footage of me...
https://youtu.be/shmWg8xKEGU
When you decide to get a partner in "mischief", hit me up.😏2 -
Tiny dumbbells (not productive as actual strength training, but an excuse to move upper body more, and they can fake as paperweights between times). Squeezy ball or other similar hand-strength device. Small exercise bands to wrap around ankles while doing seated mini-kicks or knee raises and such. Again, tiny calories, but these are things you can do one-handed on autopilot while doing something else (other than touch-typing ), and tuck away in a desk drawer.
Also - I hope you don't mind, OP - since there are several people at the "What is NEAT?" point of learning, I'd like to link to this stickied thread of general NEAT-improvement ideas from many people (some of which are viable at work ):
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p12 -
umbramirror wrote: »Go_Deskercise wrote: »umbramirror wrote: »Go_Deskercise wrote: »umbramirror wrote: »Go_Deskercise wrote: »I also work a desk job 8-5 M-F
I change at lunch and go on a run/walk/jog and then change back into my work clothes (I have an hour break and I also live across the street but you could still bring lunch and clothes with you depending on how long you have)
I "workout" at my desk discreetly
I work at a small company with not much room to walk around so I get it. If it's nice out I go walk around the parking lot. If it's too cold or bad weather, I will generally just walk in place somewhere discrete or walk around kinda aimlessly looking like a crazy person.
I've found that just little things throughout the day help greatly
**No stairs in my building either so there's no "just take the stairs instead of the elevator"
Lucky you! It would be so convenient if my workplace was near home. I also have an hour break so I do have a bit of time to get in some activity. I usually would walk around while talking to my partner on the phone. I sometimes consider walking out in the cold but then I take a step outside and I'm like... nope!
I don't mind looking like a crazy person so supermarket, here I come!
Yeah, I don't do well in the cold.... at all. I'm a big ol' baby
Same here... what a baby I am. EXCEPT just now, I decided to go take a walk anyway. Only 20 minutes and then I started getting very cold but better than nothing! It was kind of nice actually.
I'm planning on maybe adding a short circuit of body weight exercises towards the later half of the day when I can't walk at all.
Well now I have to go be active in the cold too I guess..... thanks a lot LOL
Heat wave today as it's 43 degrees, but still gross and cold to me
You're so very welcome.
<-- I don't mind being a "bad" good influence.
Whoa... how are you not sweating over there? We're at 36 today... I'll trade ya!
When I went for my hike today at lunch time the "feels like" temperature was 34 degrees.
If ya'll find the 30 and 40s too cold, you're not dressed properly
I'll be out there down to the single digits.
I knew a guy who was a tug boat captain in New York who used to say, "There's no bad weather, just bad gear."
ETA: just saw you wanted to do this in work clothes which sometimes include skirts...maybe check the weather, decide which days you want to walk, and either bring walking clothes or don't wear a skirt that day.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »umbramirror wrote: »Go_Deskercise wrote: »umbramirror wrote: »Go_Deskercise wrote: »umbramirror wrote: »Go_Deskercise wrote: »I also work a desk job 8-5 M-F
I change at lunch and go on a run/walk/jog and then change back into my work clothes (I have an hour break and I also live across the street but you could still bring lunch and clothes with you depending on how long you have)
I "workout" at my desk discreetly
I work at a small company with not much room to walk around so I get it. If it's nice out I go walk around the parking lot. If it's too cold or bad weather, I will generally just walk in place somewhere discrete or walk around kinda aimlessly looking like a crazy person.
I've found that just little things throughout the day help greatly
**No stairs in my building either so there's no "just take the stairs instead of the elevator"
Lucky you! It would be so convenient if my workplace was near home. I also have an hour break so I do have a bit of time to get in some activity. I usually would walk around while talking to my partner on the phone. I sometimes consider walking out in the cold but then I take a step outside and I'm like... nope!
I don't mind looking like a crazy person so supermarket, here I come!
Yeah, I don't do well in the cold.... at all. I'm a big ol' baby
Same here... what a baby I am. EXCEPT just now, I decided to go take a walk anyway. Only 20 minutes and then I started getting very cold but better than nothing! It was kind of nice actually.
I'm planning on maybe adding a short circuit of body weight exercises towards the later half of the day when I can't walk at all.
Well now I have to go be active in the cold too I guess..... thanks a lot LOL
Heat wave today as it's 43 degrees, but still gross and cold to me
You're so very welcome. <-- I don't mind being a "bad" good influence.
Whoa... how are you not sweating over there? We're at 36 today... I'll trade ya!
When I went for my hike today at lunch time the "feels like" temperature was 34 degrees.
If ya'll find the 30 and 40s too cold, you're not dressed properly
I'll be out there down to the single digits.
I knew a guy who was a tug boat captain in New York who used to say, "There's no bad weather, just bad gear."
I could dress up thicker than the Michelin Man and still be cold
1 -
psychod787 wrote: »umbramirror wrote: »@shorepine that's awesome! That's a pretty darn good burn for at the desk activity. Killer. I could use some warming up too... it's pretty chilly in my office. I usually put on my sweater and keep my hands under my butt periodically to keep my fingers warm when I'm not typing but this would be a lot more efficient!
@LivingtheLeanDream I have my own office where I could close my door and do some form of activity if I wanted to, but I really shouldn't do this too often because my superiors walk by often and may need my immediate assistance. Otherwise, no, our office is not very private in general and there isn't much open space. Your walking plan sounds good though!
@psychod787 you know, I always read your username as psychodr (as in psycho doctor) for some reason and even though that's obviously not your username, it kind of fits you... doesn't it? Apprentice... sorry, I'm no sidekick. I could use another partner in evil mischief though across the galaxy. It's getting kinda lonely messing stuff up on my own.
Someone else actually mentioned the idea of the weighted vest to me before. It's an interesting idea. I was thinking of using that for my calisthenics days to increase my resistance.
Recent work footage of me...https://youtu.be/shmWg8xKEGU
When you decide to get a partner in "mischief", hit me up.😏
You're prrretty.
Edit: I will always need a partner in mischief, though it's an ongoing role that's difficult to fill properly. You up to the task?1 -
Hi there, I have this thing called a "Fitdesk" under desk cycle. It's a low profile bike that fits discreetly under my desk. It's totally quiet and designed for office use- low to the ground so your knees don't bop your desk. It's not designed to be a real workout or get your sweaty as even the highest resistance is fairly easy, but rather to increase movement and NEAT (I suppose, I'm not up to speed on NEAT and just learned about it from your post).
I am on the phone a lot for work and I can pedal my Fitdesk during phone calls. I use it for about 1.5 hours a day, pedaling up to 10 miles. It's got a little digital read out that sits on my desk so I can see how long I've pedaled for.
I got mine on Amazon, here it is: https://www.amazon.com/FitDesk-Exercise-Peddler-Magnetic-Resistance/dp/B076HYPK42/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=fitdesk+under+desk+bike&qid=1573753757&sr=8-5
They also make ellipticals, which I haven't tried. As you can see, its $130, but I've had mine for several years and have found I use it consistently.
This is intriguing. What kind of calorie burn do you think you get from this? How do you enter it into MFP for exercise?
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@AnnPT77 Thanks for this. Definitely helpful!
@kshama2001 I think I would have to wear a balaclava to be fine under 40, no joke. The rest of my body is fine, but my face gets so cold and bright red. It's actually ridiculous. What do you wear when you go hiking? Just out of curiosity. I love to go hiking and will do so very bundled up. I guess I could bring layers to have better walks during the colder months at work.1 -
psychod787 wrote: »What is NEAT?
As someone else pointed out, NEAT = Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
What it means is all the movements you tend to make throughout the day but don't notice. Basically any movement you make that isn't for the purpose of "exercise". Bouncing your knee while you sit, standing up and stretching occasionally, shaking your head, tapping your fingers on your desk. Things like that make up a pretty surprising amount of your calorie expenditure during a typical day.
And on another note, standing desks aren't going to do much for calorie expenditure. I think there was a study done that showed you burn about 0.15 calories a minute more standing. That means, on average, you'll burn 54 more calories if you spend 6 hours a day standing instead of sitting. Apparently our bodies are pretty efficient at standing. There may be other benefits to your health if you stand instead of sit but that's outside my area of knowledge.
Not true about the standing desk. They can burn up to 30% more calories vs sitting in some studies.
also its not just about the fact that you are standing that burns that extra .15cal a minute...but that when i'm standing i move more in general1 -
psychod787 wrote: »umbramirror wrote: »@shorepine that's awesome! That's a pretty darn good burn for at the desk activity. Killer. I could use some warming up too... it's pretty chilly in my office. I usually put on my sweater and keep my hands under my butt periodically to keep my fingers warm when I'm not typing but this would be a lot more efficient!
@LivingtheLeanDream I have my own office where I could close my door and do some form of activity if I wanted to, but I really shouldn't do this too often because my superiors walk by often and may need my immediate assistance. Otherwise, no, our office is not very private in general and there isn't much open space. Your walking plan sounds good though!
@psychod787 you know, I always read your username as psychodr (as in psycho doctor) for some reason and even though that's obviously not your username, it kind of fits you... doesn't it? Apprentice... sorry, I'm no sidekick. I could use another partner in evil mischief though across the galaxy. It's getting kinda lonely messing stuff up on my own.
Someone else actually mentioned the idea of the weighted vest to me before. It's an interesting idea. I was thinking of using that for my calisthenics days to increase my resistance.
Recent work footage of me...https://youtu.be/shmWg8xKEGU
When you decide to get a partner in "mischief", hit me up.😏
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Have you read the book?1 -
You know, going for walks in the cold isn't bad when you dress appropriately lol. Bring a hat and gloves, wear leggings underneath your pants etc. 1
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