Healthy living
Exercise and fitness
Fidget fitness
US scientists claim that minimal everyday movements can make the difference between being fat and thin but are they enough to keep you fit?
It's universally acknowledged that exercising helps you live longer, as well as improving your general health and even elevating your mood. But the question is: how much exercise and in what form? Many people, even those who would like to improve their health, balk when it comes to joining a gym, starting a jogging regime or playing competitive sport, and many find these kinds of activities so off-putting that they end up doing no exercise at all.
However, recent scientific studies hold out a beacon of hope for the gym-phobic. According to the results of an American experiment, the amount of small movements you make could be the difference between being fat and thin. Forget sweaty work-outs: fidgeting, cleaning, tapping your toes, walking - all these everyday things might be the secret of keeping off excess weight and staying fit.
"A person can expend calories either by going to the gym, or through everyday activities," explains Dr James Levine, the endocrinologist who led the study. "Our study shows that the calories that people burn in their everyday activities are far, far more important in obesity than we previously imagined."
How fidgets stay fit
When exploring the reasons for obesity, scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota used sensors to minutely examine the movements of both lean and obese people. They found that, on average, the overweight people sat for 150 minutes more each day than their lean counterparts. Thinner people simply moved, walked and fidgeted more than obese ones.
The scientists call this type of movement NEAT - short for non-exercise thermogenesis - and see it as a way in which everyone can exercise. "The kind of activity we are talking about does not require special or large spaces, unusual training regimens or gear," says Dr Levine. "Unlike running a marathon, NEAT is within the reach of everyone."
It's not the first study to endorse everyday exercise. Dutch scientists found that moderate exercise fitted into everyday life is more beneficial than bursts of high-intensity activity followed by slumping on the sofa. The researchers at Maastricht University also concluded that moderate activities such as walking and cycling are better tolerated than high intensity work-outs, particularly by those in middle life.
The Government seems to agree too. Although official policy advises 30 minutes of moderate activity at least five times a week to stay fit, Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson says: "It is not about spending hours and hours in the gym, but it is about finding ways to build activities into our daily lives."
There are plenty of activities you can easily fit into your daily routine that can help to keep you fit. "It's a matter of keeping flexible and supple," said Anne-Marie Millard, author of The Kitchen Gym (Hamlyn) which gives lots of tips on how to get lean while you clean. "Whenever you do things around the house, try to keep yourself moving as much as possible."
Break it down: If the idea of exercising for 30 minutes at a stretch sounds daunting, or you just can't fit it into your daily routine, break your work-outs down into 10-minute slots. They'll be just as effective.
Learn to fidget: As the Mayo Clinic scientists showed, the amount of small movements you make can be the difference between fit and fat. If you're not a fidget, teach yourself to be one. When you're doing nothing particular, try drumming your fingers, changing position, pacing up and down and tapping your feet.
Borrow a dog: Walking is easy, free and a great way to stay fit. If you need an incentive, borrow a dog or hire yourself out as a dog walker. Walking for an hour can burn more than 400 calories, depending on how fast you do it.
Do the big beat: For a quick get-fit fix that should easily qualify as moderate exercise, look to your carpets "Put your rugs over the washing line and give them a good wallop." Anne Marie Millard advises.
Increase your steps: Take the stairs instead of the lift, leave the car at home and get off the bus a stop before your own, use the upstairs loo rather than the downstairs one, hide the remote controls and get up to switch your appliances on and off. Buy a pedometer to count your steps.
Get out in the garden: Researchers at Kansas State University say gardening can strengthen limbs, help the cardiovascular system and develop flexibility. So get out there and start digging. Take the opportunity to have a good stretch after you've been kneeling down.
Do it to music: Put on a lively CD and do your housework in time to it. You'll be working out without even knowing it.
Clench and stretch: Tone your muscles while doing the ironing by clenching your buttocks while you work, Anne Marie Millard suggests. "Clench your pelvic floor muscles as you clean your teeth. Always think about your posture. Pull your tummy muscles in and stand up straight."
Walk the talk: Buy a cordless phone and walk around the house when you're talking.
Have more sex: Sex is a calorie burner and can be a good aerobic workout too. So feel free to indulge yourself.
Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.