FootGaming Is NEAT
Through a
decade of research at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Levine, an
endocrinologist, has spent his career studying how humans
expend energy. His recent research findings (Science, Jan. 27,
2005) show that genomic and biological differences impact how
many calories a person burns during everyday tasks. It proved
the long-discussed concept of a"slow metabolism" as a factor in
obesity. It also showed that people can increase their
caloric"burn rates" by integrating more movement into their
daily regime. Dr. Levine calls this process"non-exercise
activity thermogenesis" (NEAT).
In a 2005
study, James Levine, M.D., professor of medicine at the Mayo
Clinic, confirmed that people who are less sedentary are less
likely to gain weight. Subjects were overfed by 1,000 calories
a day and wore sensors that monitored their movement. “In
the people we studied, there was a ten-fold variability in
body-fat gain,” says Levine. “We had one person who
ate those excess calories and stored every single one of them
as body fat. Another person essentially burned off all the
extra fuel. How? Through NEAT.”
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT as Levine dubs it, refers to the calories you burn living your life: doing the laundry, making your bed, mowing the lawn. The more active you are the less likely you are to put on weight. “People who can switch on their NEAT are able to remain thin, despite periods of overfeeding,” says Levine. The trick is to become more active in your day-to-day life.
One of the best places to start is at the office, where we spend most of our day sitting. To implement a NEAT-friendly environment, you may want to be aware of reasons why NEAT is good for business.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT as Levine dubs it, refers to the calories you burn living your life: doing the laundry, making your bed, mowing the lawn. The more active you are the less likely you are to put on weight. “People who can switch on their NEAT are able to remain thin, despite periods of overfeeding,” says Levine. The trick is to become more active in your day-to-day life.
One of the best places to start is at the office, where we spend most of our day sitting. To implement a NEAT-friendly environment, you may want to be aware of reasons why NEAT is good for business.
NEAT
enhances productivity. NEAT cuts
down on idle web surfing, and physical movement awakens the
body and mind. You’ll be more alert and creative, and
less apt to daydream. Even the beginning FootGamer can add NEAT
activity throughout the workday in a few 10-minute sessions. No
need for a formal program or organized
“class.” Games are built-in motivators.
NEAT is low-budget in time and money. “It doesn’t have to cost any money at all,” says Levine. Propose small changes on a trial basis, like creating a walking track with tape. Have walking meetings. Pace wjile on the phone.
NEAT, like FootGaming, is contagious. A walking group quickly demonstrates the benefits of NEAT to your colleagues. When you share NEAT, it starts a trend. “We call that the NEAT ripple,” says Levine. “It always ripples to someone else.”
NEAT is low-budget in time and money. “It doesn’t have to cost any money at all,” says Levine. Propose small changes on a trial basis, like creating a walking track with tape. Have walking meetings. Pace wjile on the phone.
NEAT, like FootGaming, is contagious. A walking group quickly demonstrates the benefits of NEAT to your colleagues. When you share NEAT, it starts a trend. “We call that the NEAT ripple,” says Levine. “It always ripples to someone else.”
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