You may have less time to get to the gym during the holidays, but you'll have more opportunities to boost your NEAT. NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. It is a term that is used to describe all of the calories we burn from movement that isn't exercise.
There are many easy ways to boost your NEAT in a typical day. But it is especially easy during the holidays. Consider some of these easy ways to increase your activity.
- Park far away from the entrance to the shopping mall.
- Hand-deliver Christmas cards or treats to coworkers by taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Stand up while you decorate cookies or address Christmas cards
- Stand and mingle at parties
It might seem like these small changes don't add up to much. But if you use a pedometer or an activity monitor, you'll see your step count and your moderate activity totals increase significantly. The payoff? You burn more calories and you'll be more likely to keep weight gain at bay during the holidays.
