10 sneaky ways to add more movement into your day

10 Clever Ways to Incorporate More Movement into Your Daily Routine

Even small amounts of extra exercise can provide health benefits, according to Thrive editor Niki Bezzant. She shares some smart ideas for adding useful bits of movement to your everyday life.

The Importance of Regular Movement

We all know that we need to move our bodies regularly—probably more than most of us currently do. For good health and disease prevention, it’s recommended that we exercise for at least 150 minutes each week. That’s just over 20 minutes a day at a moderate level. Additionally, we should include some intense exercise and flexibility and balance work.

Benefits of Exercise

The benefits of exercise are well-known. Regular exercise is linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and certain cancers. It’s also great for our mental health and can help with conditions like anxiety and depression.

Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle

Moreover, the dangers of sitting too much are becoming clearer through research. Being too sedentary slows down our metabolism and increases our risk of lifestyle diseases.

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

So, how can we incorporate more movement into our lives without going to the gym? This is where NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) comes in. NEAT includes all the activities we do that aren’t formal exercise, such as moving around during the day, doing housework, walking to the bus, standing, or even fidgeting.

These small movements can be quite powerful. NEAT movements could result in burning significantly more calories per day beyond our basal metabolic rate, depending on our body weight and level of activity. Scientists suggest that utilizing NEAT-type movements during work and leisure time could help us maintain a “negative energy balance”—in other words, burning more energy than we consume. A 2015 study on NEAT recommended that it should be part of medical recommendations for preventing obesity and heart disease.

Tips to Increase NEAT

Sit Less: Whether it’s using a standing desk, standing up to chat with a colleague, or doing stretches while watching TV, any activity that’s more active than just sitting will benefit us and boost our metabolic rate.
Walking Meetings: If you work in an office, try walking meetings instead of sitting ones. You’ll get out of the meeting room, perhaps get some fresh air, and stimulate blood flow to your brain, leading to more and better ideas.
Stand Up on the Phone: Next time you take a call, stand up and walk around. It’s a simple habit that gives you a break from sitting and increases your energy expenditure.
Fidget: It might sound silly, but fidgeting can help burn more energy. Studies have shown that people who fidget while sitting or standing burn more calories than when they are lying still. Try jiggling your legs during boring meetings or while watching TV, or do wrist or ankle circles while sitting on the bus or waiting in a queue.
Modify Your Environment: Small changes to your environment can make a big difference in how much you move in a day. Consider changes that encourage you to get up from your seat, like moving the trash bin away from your desk or placing the phone on the other side of the room.
Take the Stairs: An old but effective tip—if there’s an option to climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator, take it! It’s great for activating the large muscles in our legs and glutes, which gives our metabolism a boost.
Move While Doing Chores: Use the “empty” time while waiting for the kettle to boil or stirring a pan on the stove to do small movements. Try calf raises or even a few squats.
Use Technology: Use your phone to remind you to get up from sitting regularly. Schedule micro-breaks with the alarm feature or download a stretching app and schedule a stretch every few hours.
Use a Basket, Not a Trolley: When shopping, if you’re only buying a few things, choose a basket instead of a trolley to give yourself a bit of an incidental weight challenge.
Socialize Actively: Instead of meeting friends for coffee or wine, try doing something active together, like going for a walk or a bike ride. You can still chat, but you’ll also be getting a dose of NEAT.