Laughter Really is The Best Medicine
Ugh! 4 out of 5 people will experience lower back pain at least one time during their lives. Unfortunately I happen to be one of those unlucky ones this week. Usually I can modify my workouts to alleviate the pressure, but not this time...I'm out of commission for at least 2 days.
It made me think though...Are there any other ways that will ensure that I am still burning calories without going to the gym? The answer is YES! James A. Levine, M.D. PhD., a researcher at the Mayo Clinic conducted a study regarding what makes people more likely to be obese. His theory NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermoneogenesis), found that just getting up and moving, basic body movements and our everyday activities are a more powerful indicator of obesity than formal exercise.
I found this fascinating. I hear it all the time, I can't exercise because of one excuse after another. I figured that since I am not able to go to the gym, I will certainly keep this mind while I'm resting my back, Here are just a few of the alternative ways to burn some extra calories without the pain:
- Laugh! A study reported in 2005 found that laughing increases your heart rate by 10-20%. Which translates to simply, 10-15 minutes of laughing a day can increase your energy expenditure (that's calories out) to 10-40 calories a day and in turn can equate to about 4 pounds a year. I have to remember to not delete all those jokes from my email!
- Stand. Simply put...get off your butt and out of the chair. Standing burns 50% more calories than sitting. A 155 pound person can burn 50 calories/hr, start to pace and you burn another 35-40 calories. Another reason to get hands free, walk and talk at the same time instead of sitting at your desks and packing on the pounds!
- Waiter, can I get ice in that water! Without getting all technical, in order to keep you body in a state of homeostasis (constant internal temperature), you would have to increase the the water temperature to about 60 degrees (Our body: 98.6 degrees, ice water: about 40 degrees). Therefore, if you drank 1 liter of water, you would burn about 30 calories, 2 liters, 60 calories and so on. Yet another good reason for go old H2O!
So even if you can't go to the gym... get out of your chair, put your ipod on anyway and start tapping your toes. Remember even the slightest movement counts. Enjoy!
For more information about Dr. Levine's study go to http://ndc.mayo.edu/mayo/research/levine_lab/about.cfm
Leave a comment