Fidgeting

I was fascinated by the following study conducted at the Mayo Clinic:

The Mayo Clinic researchers equipped people with special clothing containing sensors that measured every calorie they burned by moving. They found that those little motions--scratching your head, getting up and stretching at commercial time, moving to another chair--make a huge difference. The "skinny" people tended to fidget away 350 calories a day more than the "overweight" people. That adds up to 35 pounds a year!

Now, some people are better at being still while others cannot sit still. It may be difficult to change our unconscious tendencies, but we can change our environments. Consider the following tips which can make our lives less convenient and a little more "fidgety".

• Take the stairs.
  

• Don't waste time looking for the closest parking spot. Park so you have to walk awhile.

• When you watch television, get up and stretch periodically.

• Whenever you think of a task that needs to be done, get up and do it. Do not procrastinate.

• Keep dumbbells near your sofa, office, or reading area. Several times a day, stop and do a short routine to exercise your upper body.