The seven habits: Maximize your NEPA

Gym-goers ensuring they don't break a sweat.
Photo by TPizzle143

 In the article Seven habits of highly fit people, one of the more elusive concepts is Non-Exercise Physical Activity, or "NEPA". We all know what exercise is, and as much as the Public Service Announcements might tell us otherwise, we know that we're not going to get truly fit just parking the car a little farther from the store entrance or walking up the escalator at the mall.

Instead, the idea is to make activity the automatic choice. The mechanically-assisted option has become so ingrained that we don't think twice about:
- Idling three minutes in the parking lot for someone to load up their car and pull out of the primo space
- Waiting at the elevator to go to the second or third floor
- Instant-messaging the coworker in the next cubical rather than getting up to talk to her
- Parking at the video store, getting your movie, then driving across the parking lot to get a few things for dinner

Of course there will be times that you need to lug a heavy load, or an icy parking lot makes lots of walking undesirable. For the most part, though, we minimize activity because we've grown accustomed to it. Time is usually not the issue, since it often takes longer to wait for the parking space or the elevator than it would to just walk a little bit.

Those days when you don't have the chance to move around in your normal activities, create the opportunity. Don't sit down during your conference call - try standing on one foot, or just stretch a little bit. Take an extra five minutes when you get up to get coffee or use the restroom to say hi to your friend on the other side of the office. Maybe take a 15 minute walk during lunch or do some stretching during evening television time. Find a way to use your body, every day!

Every time you move you teach your body to move more effectively. You burn a few more calories. You help keep your joints and muscles moving smoothly. There is a limit to how much intense physical exercise we can do each week before we're unable to recover from it. Low-intensity activity, however, can be done throughout the day, every day, with no negative effects or impact on your ability to recover.

NEPA will not create a "highly fit" person. Instead, avoiding everyday opportunities for physical activity will virtually ensure that you do NOT reach the ranks of the highly fit. Remember, even if you're spending 10 hours a week working out at the gym (which almost nobody does), that still gives you 158 hours of "slack" time. Many people have found that maximizing their NEPA during that time makes the difference between meeting their goals and failing.

	Seven habits of highly fit people Are you going to the gym every day and not seeing results?  See what the Highly Fit are doing that you're not! See also: "The Secret" to manifesting fitness Using SMART goals in fitness
	Why women need strength training Stuck in an aerobic rut?  Find out how picking up heavy stuff can help you reach your goals! See also: Lactic acid training for performance and fat burning CrossFit for every body Where to CrossFit in the Denver area
	Fitness journals: the most important thing you're not doing Want to double your progress?  Write it down! See also: Simplify your diet strategy Cheap corn syrup equals bigger waistlines

  For more info: Visit Jonathan on his website at www.defylimitations.com