It has been many months of being sheltered-in-place and becoming more sedentary.
Initially I was overjoyed by the thought of not having to endure my painful daily commute to and from work but being stuck at home over an extended period of time can be both a blessing and a curse.
What's alarming is that many people, my friends included, are working harder than ever. It's easy to lose track of time because there's nothing to break up the day. Without having to go through the motion of the daily routine, such as getting ready for work, we can simply sit down in front of the computer and perform work from dawn to dusk . Such level of inactivity can be a cause for concern. I jokingly mentioned that
If none of us ends up contracting COVID-19, our desk-bound lifestyle may lead to more irreparable, long-term damages.
So how can we move more when we are mostly confined to our homes?
Get Fired Up with NEAT!
Interestingly, what caught my attention was from reading articles about two elderly Japanese ladies who are staying active and keeping their minds sharp even at their ripe old age. One of them is a gamer by the name of Hamako Mori in her 90's. The other one is Asako Sono, an 88 years-old writer who champions an active, fulfilling life by following the guiding principle of work, independence, flexibility, faith, contemplation (alone time), and being realistic rather than idealistic.
Ms. Sono's notion of work is not to about working at an unfulfilling job until death but about being consciously active and hands-on; by taking joy of doing daily tasks and be personally engaged in every little aspect of one's daily life.
Although Asako Sono can easily afford to hire domestic helpers, she champions the idea of "Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)", which is the energy expended for everything we do aside from sleeping, eating or sports-related exercises. It ranges from the energy expended cooking, standing, cleaning, walking the dog or to work, typing, performing yard work, undertaking agricultural tasks and fidgeting.
Even trivial physical activities help to increase metabolic rate substantially and it is the cumulative impact of a multitude of exothermic /energy-releasing actions that culminate in an individual's daily #NEAT. While I am not planning to start washing each piece of clothing by hand, it helps me to be mindful about staying active throughout the day and finding ways to embrace the idea of NEAT.
All That Glitters is Not Gold at the Dawn of Technology
This notion of NEAT leads me to think about technological advancements as we put so much emphasis on efficiency and functionality. Consumer electronics are supposed to simplify our lives but at the same time also make us more reliant and sedentary. For example, people no longer need to vacuum as often because of the self-propelled robotic vacuums. We no longer have to run to another room to answer the telephone because our phones are generally without arm's reach. We don't even need to lift a finger to get our questions answered because of voice-activated assistants. Technology gives us comfort, but at the same token robs us of physical movements.
One can argue that technology allows us to focus more on doing what we enjoy and less on time spent with boring, menial activities. However, it's imperative that we not only pay closer attention to our personal health but to attend to our friends and family by lending a helping hand and doing things for them. Not only does that contribute to better personal health but added well-being to boot - No that's pretty NEAT! #BestWorkBestLife
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