Sitting still is overrated, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Most of us sit still for far too long every day. We wake up in the morning after a night of lying still, only to walk out to our driveway and sit in the car as we drive to work. Once at work, the majority of Americans sit at a desk for 40 hours a week, where we—wait for it—sit still. Then we drive home (still sitting) and spend our evening and weekends sitting on the couch, exhausted from all of that sitting.
Along with the dietary and lifestyle changes that you are making after getting Lap Band surgery, it might be time to adjust the percentage of your week that you spend sitting still. If you started moving around more while sitting at work, you might find that you are burning more calories and feeling a whole lot healthier.
Fidgeting Fitness
Fidgeting at your desk while at work falls into the category of incidental activity. This is a type of physical activity that helps a lot of bariatric patients up their calories expenditure everyday as they adjust to living a healthier lifestyle. Incidental activity refers to the amount of movement that you can accumulate during your regular routine without actually going to the gym or heading out for a walk.
You can build up your incidental activity by walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, getting up to talk to a coworker instead of sending an email or IM, and simply tapping your foot and moving around while you are typing away. By making your regular routine a more active one, you can naturally burn more calories as you move about your daily routine.
Fidgeting is easy! Here are a few ways that you can shake up your sedentary routine:
- Listen to music and dance a little at your desk. Tap your foot to the beat as you type or bounce your legs up and down.
- Get up and stretch your arms once every hour while you are sitting at work. Make a routine out of it. When the hour changes, stand up, drink some water and move around a bit. This will help keep you hydrated and moving.
- Stand up and move around while talking on the phone. If you can’t stand while on the phone, then keep your fingers moving or swing your feet in your chair.
After Lap Band surgery, going to the gym right away isn’t an option. Your body needs time to recover, and you need time to adjust. While fidgeting isn’t meant to replace a moderate workout, it can help you burn some calories during those moments when you’d otherwise be sitting still.
