NEAT Improvement Strategies to Improve Weight Loss
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Saying yes when my 5 year old asks me to play lava monster or my 11 year old asks me to play tag, biking to pick up my 5 year old from school, biking to the grocery store and Walgreens when what I need will fit in my saddle bag.11
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- Walk the long way to work, walk home.
- Bring my lunch to work so I have more time to walk and window-shop at lunchtime.
- Walk my office mail to admin downstairs instead of putting it in our floor's mail-out tray.
- Walk to the shops when I need something, instead of waiting till I need lots of things and having to use a car.
- Put dishes away one at a time.
- I don't complain to others to do chores, I do them myself.
- Sort the laundry in the kitchen then put things away in very small batches. i.e. one batch per one person's socks, then their undies, then their jeans, then t-shirts, etc.6 -
I really don't need to think of things to do since it's a must in order for my life to function. If I get to sit down ever it's after 9pm
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I've only recently found out about NEAT so I still have a long way to go. I feel like NEAT is the missing piece to the puzzle!
-I used to try and carry everything all at once upstairs but now I try and do it in intervals
-walk around whilst the kettle boils (before I used to sit down!)
-walk around whilst food is cooking
-squats or lunges whilst brushing teeth
-opting to do the dishes instead of the dishwasher (haven't us humans become so lazy?!)
-vacuuming all the rooms and doing it vigorously
-taking ages to fold the laundry and standing whilst doing it (before I used to sit)
-cutting fabric and making dresses for myself (I don't know if this counts but sewing can get tiring)
-standing whilst chopping veggies/fruit
-fidgeting!
-running up and down the stairs pretending I forgot something (so my family doesn't think I'm wierd)
-drinking 3 litres of water a day so I have to get up and pee
I know I still have a long way to go!11 -
MegaMooseEsq wrote: »The biggest thing I've done since learning about NEAT is give myself permission to fidget even more. I've been suppressing the urge to swing or jiggle my legs for years, but now I feel like I have an excuse. Sorry, people sitting nearby! I do try and be considerate...
I get what you're saying!
Somewhat similarly, I've long prided myself on being efficient (combining trips up/down stairs, keeping needful tools near their use, etc). It amuses me that I'm now trying to be more inefficient!
This is absolutely me. I was doing laundry this morning and instead of adding a couple of things to the hamper from the living room on the main floor before heading to the basement, I took the hamper downstairs then made another trip upstairs. Neat!4 -
-I've given myself permission to fidget again (which is my natural state - I consciously stopped because family members kept drawing attention). I'm back to always having some body part moving no matter what I'm doing.
-I run up and down stairs a lot at home (because I keep forgetting things I meant to bring with me, but still).
-I park at the other end of the parking lot.
-I wander around when I'm talking on the phone.
-I make lots of small trips to the store instead of one big weekly, and go up and down every aisle at least once.
-I have my fitbit set to remind me to get up and walk every hour
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Years ago MBWA was a thing: Management By Walking Around. I do Housework By Walking Around. I find it less boring than cleaning in one room at a time.
It's debatable I guess, but I think most of my success in improving my NEAT came from pushing my limits in exercise. I'm much more energetic overall now.8 -
I love this! I have not done these things as much since I got married but they would be easy to add back in.
I dance while I’m in the kitchen (much to my children’s horror I might add)
Jog in place during commercial breaks/walk laps around the house.
Do tree pose while I stand (modified in public because that whole arms above your head thing draws attention).6 -
Just found these posts and I really enjoyed reading them. I am 65 and I wear a fitbit trying to get 10,000 steps throughout the day. Housework, ironing, using my sewing machine (I love patchwork quilting), cleaning, moving items and furniture, walking up and down the stairs etc all help to keep mobile and doing the things I love, sewing, drawing, knitting, food shopping, walking actually helps me to feel good. I kog all my meals , enjoy snacks and the occassional unwise food choices. We are all human, we make mistakes draw a line under them and move on. The community groups on here are helpful, motivating and encouraging. I am cheering you all on, together we will all succeed, lose weight, be healthier and most of all happier.11
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I have a table in the middle of my eat-in kitchen that I walk around while I'm waiting for my kettle to boil or microwave to finish, cooking foods that need occasional stirring, and so on. (This is a common comment in this thread, but it needed a bump.
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I'd love to hear more about the exercises people do. I'd never thought of doing planks, lunges, or push ups while waiting on stuff. I need to try those!6 -
Today at lunch I'll be improving my NEAT with the chainsaw as I cut up a tree that fell over the weekend.
Something else I do quite a bit in winter is steps on a step used for step-aerobics while watching TV3 -
I was thinking about getting one of those little under-the-desk foot peddlers to increase my NEAT a bit while I work. Anyone else use one and have opinions?8
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I was thinking about getting one of those little under-the-desk foot peddlers to increase my NEAT a bit while I work. Anyone else use one and have opinions?
I considered getting one of those as well. But I hadn't heard of anyone else using one.
I walk in place a lot while I wait for things. Filling my water bottle and the cooler. take some steps in place. cooking or heating things up, walk in place. Waiting for the kettle to boil, take some steps. Waiting for my dogs to come back to the door from the yard, I'm stepping.
Kind of just a habit now.4 -
I jog in place when my video game is loading. Skyrim. Lots of loading.
I also do many of the techniques listed. I just wanted to add a variation. 6 -
Keep your glass of wine in the living room while your cooking dinner.
Extra steps just going to get a glug, extra points if you keep it on a low table so squat for wine.
Ooh, I need the t-shirt- 'I squat for wine'
Just thought of that as I inadvertently did it last night, then was reading a thread about wine and extra daily activity this morning.
Cheers, h.16 -
Ah, @middlehaitch, you're making me chuckle again! I'd prolly buy that t-shirt, and I'll certainly try that "exercise"!
Great ideas, everyone - keep 'em coming! Totally new ideas, or interesting twists on ideas already mentioned: It's all good!
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I have the longest elevator ever at work. Just enough time for ten full squats or some shadow boxing. Super glad there are not cameras there. My Fitbit reminder keeps me honest when I get busy at my desk too.1
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In addition to walking around while waiting for stuff like little kettle or microwave, I'm less efficient with chores. I remember mentioning this here once and I got a reply that it's better to be more efficient with chores which would save time and that time can be used for exercise. I don't see how it's possible to add 1-2 extra hours of exercise on top of what I'm already doing. It would be physically and mentally taxing. When it's one minute here, two minutes there, it just feels like part of daily life. It just happens. I don't need to muster willpower to do it.
Edited for pesky autocorrect.10 -
-I dance while working in the kitchen
-if I have time after dinner I will walk in the neighborhood
-playing, chasing cats and children (or running away from them, when it’s their turn)
- have social and work meetings in the gym
- wear comfortable shoes (not my favorite4 -
Good ideas, all!
I'm inspired to share a couple of thoughts, and ask if others have more of the same sort.
It's about exercises or fidgets that easily combine with other activities.
Subtype 1 is things to do while briefly waiting (for kettle, microwave, in line, etc), some of which work OK in public, and others are better kept at home. We've heard about walking/marching/jogging around or in place, wall/counter pushups, jumping jacks, squats/lunges, dancing, planks, chair dips . . . .
Subtype 2 is things you can do while doing something else that imposes limitations on added movement (say, you're washing dishes, folding laundry, etc). Here we have tree pose/standing on one foot, calf raises, jiggles . . . .
In subclass 2, another one I do is alternately tightening left/right obliques and their neighbors, so my pelvis tilts from side to side & feet alternately unweight. Front/back pelvis tilts or mini-crunches are another option. Side bends or twists work in some situations, too.
Others?5
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