AREYOU in the NEAT LEAGUE? NEAT – Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis!

Arinola Adeniyi N EAT is the solution to the sedentary Lifestyles that have plagued most people that live in the urban cities!!!

A sedentary lifestyle is a type of lifestyle with no or irregular physical activity. Sitting in traffic for hours, sitting at work all day, computer use all day, watching television, reading and more, all these are physical entrapments.

Lack of physical activity is one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide – Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Obesity, Depression, and Cardiovascular disease. World Health Organization (W.H.O) has defined health not merely as the absence of disease or infirmity. It is an active state of Physical, Emotional, Mental and Social Well-Being.

Physically, I dare to say, most of us are not living up to this definition of ensuring we stay and remain healthy. Our lifestyles have become essentially sedentary, more so, if you live in an urban city as I do, Lagos! Plagued by the sitting disease some say it’s Physical Entrapment. !

The human body, it has been said, time and over again, is physically built to be active. Thus the maxim “Explore the World on your Feet.”

But how many steps do we get to take on our feet daily? We sit more than we move. Let’s crunch some figures here to give those of us who live in urban cities, like Lagos, legitimate grounds for our sedentary lifestyles:

• 6 hours commute to work (Live at Iyana Ipaja or Alagbado and work on Lagos Island; travelling from the Ajah end of town is equally time consuming!) • 8 hours at your desk • 3 hours or more to unwind in front of the Tele- vision- one Yoruba, Igbo , Hausa or English Movie; Reality Show, Catch up with the day’s Breaking News, E! Channel, Sports, League Matches,etc.

• 2 hours to update your social media content and let others know what’s on your mind!

The summary, is that we end up spending 70-85% of our time sitting!

Truth be told, our legitimate grounds for sedentary lifestyles will catch up with us sooner than later. Too much inactivity can lead to different ailments.

NEAT which stands for Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis is the solution that has been proffered for Physical Entrapment that has become the bane of the urbane elite!

NEAT is low impact movement that keeps our circulation flowing and our metabolism humming. Stretching, Turning, Bending, Movement, Swaying from side to side! Just do something no matter how little!

Physical fitness is correlated with Immune System Function. Movement will increase flow of oxygen into your system, increase endorphins –the happy hormones, improves mental health, boost your metabolism, improve your sleep cycle and reduce the risk of dying prematurely. Need I say more! Make a conscious effort to reduce your overall sedentary time! Beat physical entrapment by being NEAT for 10 minutes, every hour! Create a screen saver that reminds you to get up and stretch every hour, stand up whilst answering your phone, get up to flip television channels instead of using remote control, drink more water to increase frequency of your visits to the rest room…

So please get moving, swaying, stretching, dancing….. introducing Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis into your lifestyle is fun!! Arinola Adeniyi @arinolaadeniyi arinola@venivicispa.com www.venivicispa.com