Ways To Sit Less and Move More Each Day

When it comes to overall health, most people are not fitting in enough daily movement. Luckily, adding easy activities as simple as standing up and stretching can make a significant difference to weight and well-being, and can even lengthen ones life.Some of the ways you can incorporate movement include;

Use your phone to add activity at work

One easy way to reduce your sitting time is to set an alarm on your phone to remind you to stretch at your desk for a few minutes every hour. For example,use talking on the phone as a cue to stand up and start pacing or just shifting your weight from one foot to the other

Make Counting Your Steps Easy

To gauge how much moving you currently do and then motivate yourself to do more, de Mille suggests tracking your steps with your phone, a no-frills pedometer, or a fitness tracker. “There’s nothing like having a running tally of your steps per day staring at you to make you want to move more,” de Mille says. You can easily add steps to almost every daily activity. “Park at the far end of the parking lot or get off the subway or bus one stop early,” she says. “Extra steps add up to significant calories over time.”

Make Chores More Fun by Dancing

Cleaning is one at-home exercise that we all have to do — you might hate it, but it’s NEAT at its finest. Amp up the calorie burn by turning on some music to add extra pep to your step as you vacuum, iron, and tidy up around the apartment or house

Fidget With Your Feet

Toe tapping and raising your heels while seated are not only NEAT exercises, they also work the muscles in the lower legs, and may even help prevent arterial disease, according to research from 2016. Placing a large book on your knees while raising your heels will provide more resistance and an even bigger boost in caloric expenditure.

Make the Most of Your Time While Standing in Line

Whether it’s at the grocery store, the post office, or the movies, waiting in line can transform the boring realities of life into a NEAT opportunity. “Stand on one leg or step side to side when waiting for an elevator, a bus, or a train,” de Mille suggests. “If you’re taking a subway or a bus, stand. There are plenty of people who will be grateful for your seat.”

Have a Ball While Sitting

Sitting on a chair requires no muscle activity at all, but sitting on a stability ball (also known as a fitness or balance ball) forces you to subtly contract lots of different muscles to maintain your balance.

If you can’t sit on a ball at work, try it at home while watching television, eating dinner, playing video games, or reading.