Have you found yourself wanting to make changes in 2022 but don’t know where to start? A great way is to start small and make sustainable changes – quality choices over quantity. We caught up with Michael at Cryostar® Head Office – Michael suggests thinking about your NEAT fitness!
Michael – UK Sales Manager
I love my gym, I’m one of the hardcore that rolls in at 6am every morning through rain, wind, sleet, or snow. It helps me clear my head, it focuses my day, allows me to challenge myself, and elevates my mood. But what works for one does not necessarily suit all, and is it really what keeps me in shape?
The average Gym Bunny burns around 12% of their daily calories through exercise. Not so impressive when you look at the stats – that’s a whopping 88% left behind.
60% of daily calorie burn comes from your Basal Metabolism – this is the number of calories required to keep your body functioning at rest. While possible to improve this through exercise and body composition this stat is equally affected by genetics, gender, diet, hormones, and environmental factors.
Now to the interesting bit.
The average person actually burns 15-30% of their daily intake through NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis) – that’s the calories you burn throughout your daily life just being active. That’s more than double the gym routine without breaking a sweat, obtaining a membership, attending induction, or purchasing a single pair of sweatpants. You can burn substantially more calories without any exercise at all just making small tweaks to your daily routine.
The more you improve your NEAT the more your body acclimatizes and adjusts – use more energy to have more energy in reserve. Here’s how:
Walk or Cycle
If you travel short distances by public transport why not replace this with a short walk or bike ride? If the journey is too long why not take baby steps – get off one stop earlier or park further away from the office? You don’t need to do anything excessive, you simply need to increase your current steps. A small change that becomes daily has huge benefits over time and does not require a new pair of running shoes.
Take the stairs
We’re all guilty of this at times. For example, my own gym is on the third floor. I’ve been conducting a little survey over the last few months, and I’d estimate a third of members arrive via the elevator, thinking nothing of it. Nutritionists suggest between 2-5 Calories burned for each flight of stairs (averaging 12 steps) ascended – average that out annually and add the descent and that’s 6000+ calories burnt that would have been stored in the body.
If you take the stairs at every opportunity during your daily routine, you are consuming a significant number of calories over time – and your lower body will thank you for it as steps are a great workout in general (turns out they didn’t invent the step master because there was a shortage in the real world). Escalator’s count – take the stairs as an alternative where possible or stay to the left and get your steps in!
Stand when you can
Standing burns more calories than sitting and benefits your cardiovascular and muscle development. If you have a desk job make sure to take breaks to stretch your legs, this benefits not just your calorie count but will also boost concentration.
Stand on the train, walk and talk when on the phone or walk over to your colleague instead of sending them an email. Make this a habit and you’ll reap the rewards.
Do the Housework
Sorry about this one, but yep it works. Any household chores such as vacuuming, ironing, mopping and dusting increase your NEAT significantly. Don’t wait for the Royal visit or pending visitors as an excuse, add a little bit into your routine each day and boost your NEAT.
Explore
Arrived twenty minutes early for a meeting? Got an hour to kill before you meet the gang for brunch? Have a walk around the block, explore the shops, wander down that street you’ve never explored. Steps, steps and steps – every single one counts. Don’t worry about the numbers just focus on the improvement.
Smart watches
Smart watches can monitor and record your daily Calorie burn and step count. Whilst they won’t burn any calories on their own, they’re a great tool to monitor progress and set personal goals. Highly recommended from amateur to pro – whatever your level there’s always room to improve.
So if you’re planning a change but wondering where to start then just focus on the basics, start with one foot forward and don’t set yourself an impossible target. Enjoy the small wins and you’re more likely to grow in confidence, improve your routine and find yourself making lasting improvements. Progress day by day and make sustainable changes. You’ll be ready for that gym membership in no time.
As with any wellness journey it comes with dedication and motivation, at Cryostar® we know that the best results from our device are when you maintain a healthy lifestyle and work our treatments into your routine. You can read about how Cryostar® eliminates fat debris via the lymphatic system – boosting your movement via NEAT is the perfect way to start your journey.
Karen – UK Marketing Manager
