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Danni Macfarland's avatar

Some may say I am a NEAT freak! I like to just keep busy. Now I do walk, go to the gym and a fitness class once a week. But I also enjoy just doing stuff around the house. And I will say it again… movement is medicine.

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Tim Ebl 🇨🇦's avatar

Being a NEAT freak has its rewards! Yes- movement is medicine

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Marlo Leaman's avatar

All great ideas Tim! I especially loved - carry a basket instead of pushing a grocery cart!

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Tim Ebl 🇨🇦's avatar

I always pick a basket. Even when it doesn’t make sense because it’s barely big enough for how many items I need!

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Miriam Rachel's avatar

Yup this is all really good. I do fidget a lot. I also park far when I go shopping. It all adds up.

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Tim Ebl 🇨🇦's avatar

I see those people who aren’t disabled but HAVE TO park as close as possible. They will circle round and round and wait for someone to leave to avoid taking five extra steps. I can understand if you can barely walk. My mom needs to be super close to the door, but she’s using a walker.

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Miriam Rachel's avatar

Oh that annoys me when those who park very close to the store or wherever when they are able to walk without any difficulties as that’s pure laziness.

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Mr . Ma's avatar

thx 🙃🙃🙃🤗🤗🤗😘😘😘😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰

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Tim Ebl 🇨🇦's avatar

Thanks for the uplifting comment!

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Procopio Azucar's avatar

even at 53 going 54, my metabolism is too fast. i burn way too many calories for even the most trivial activities. had to cut down on daily power-walking as i am losing more weight than i care to. will shift gradually to weight training in 2025 and regain the muscle mass i lost in 2024.

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Tim Ebl 🇨🇦's avatar

Every day I hear a story that points out how individual we are. I’m glad you understand your body and can make adjustments. Most of us have the entirely opposite problem!

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Victoria Fann's avatar

Neat list, Tim! I recently moved to a walkable neighborhood in the city that is near the local food co-op, museums, parks, farmer's market, library, banks, and so on. And I also get to live on a beautiful, tree-lined quiet street. I walk to almost everything now and love it! When I go out to the suburbs, I'm reminded of how far away everything seems and how much driving is necessary. There are days now that I never get in my car. My body is so much happier as am I.

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Tim Ebl 🇨🇦's avatar

That sounds like a fantastic move for you! May your car last forever since you aren’t putting as much wear and tear on it.

Getting to move to a walkable neighbourhood is part of our three year plan. We live in the country, which is wonderful. But it’s also terrible. We have to drive to everything!

Also, sure we can walk down the gravel road. If we enjoy putting our lives at risk and getting dusted out by drivers that don’t slow down. I nearly got hit a couple times while jogging by a driver that wasn’t paying attention.

Can’t wait to move.

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Victoria Fann's avatar

It's been life-changing for me. I actually feel younger and much more free.

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Melissa Scala's avatar

I love to find NEAT ways to fit in more movement!

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Tim Ebl 🇨🇦's avatar

Since I started writing this, I’ve added a couple thousand steps to the daily total without even trying. And with a few tweaks to the daily routine, like leg lifts at the desk and such, I’m getting hungrier by about 3PM. Enough so that I am really looking forward to my supper. So even in just a few days I’ve seen this extra NEAT have an effect on me, a guy who is already pretty active. I would like to know what it would do for someone who is more couch potato.

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Melissa Scala's avatar

Well… I can tell you! My man is a natural couch potato, but once we got a dog whom he walks a lot - that good ole’ neat movement has made him healthier and he has lost weight just from that change.

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Tim Ebl 🇨🇦's avatar

Dogs are one great piece of exercise equipment, that’s for sure!

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Melissa Scala's avatar

HA! Soooo true.

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JFT Beach 🇬🇧 🏊 🧘‍♂️'s avatar

This is great Tim. I love this and do many of those things already, but it does take a mindset shift away from once a day gym or whatever to slow, burn stuff in the day. My favourite is to wear a weighted backpack for household chores ( hat tip to Michael Easter for that one). I'll share a link to this in my Sunday round up.

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Tim Ebl 🇨🇦's avatar

Now that’s a great tip. The weighted vest for normal tasks! Awesome.

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Kristi Keller 🇨🇦's avatar

This is awesome Tim! And I'll add to it!

For those who can't afford to invest in a standing desk for their home office, you can easily get a standing desk converter that sits on top of your current desk. It'll go up and down just the same and you can get them for about 60 bucks online.

Also, Grow With Jo on YouTube is AMAZING! She has thousands of low impact, apartment friendly, indoor workouts of all types. Some of them offer up to 5000 steps in one 40 minute session and they're all FUN, not boring.

And again I'll say....get a dog 😊 I do around 2000 steps before my first coffee of the day because of my dog!

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Tim Ebl 🇨🇦's avatar

Good additions! Grow with Jo looks pretty useful

I have the standing desk topper - mine is super easy to raise and lower, so I alternate all day.

And of course, having a dog that needs walking is gonna help a lot. A guinea pig, not so much. One of your steps is a hundred of theirs.

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Kristi Keller 🇨🇦's avatar

LOL I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m guinea pig shopping 🤣🤣

I have a desk topper as well and it really does help break up the monotony of sitting all day. Best 60 bucks I’ve spent in a long time!

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