Nonexercise Activity Thermogenesis Week #3

10 months passed since I had taken a modern class. It is expected as dance instructor, to continue taking class while you teach to stay current, in shape etc. Apparently taking class in your hometown is next to committing a serious crime...No less than 30 complaints were made by nosy dance moms, who daughters I did not teach or interact with, and that wasn't even the first time. My employer tried to remedy the situation by offering a class but it was during same time I taught another class. So I stopped everything. For Kung Fu, it was more eventual...but I went less and less.

A month ago I read a book called "Get Up, Why Your Chair is Killing You and What You Can Do About It", and was horrified at what I had done to myself.

The book centers around nonexercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT. NEAT is all energy expenditure that make us vibrant and unique...dancing, swimming, playing the guitar, and even going to work or the mall. I used my NEAT signals to teach, but once the hour was up, I was back at home, sitting down waiting for God or someone to intervene with my life. (According to the DSM-V I was depressed but I still hate Abnormal Psych and am writing this blog instead of prepping for exams.)


 I wanted to increase my NEAT signals.There was no way I was going to stay in my current situation and ever increase NEAT. So that's part of the reason I'm here. (Side note...In statistics they say to NEVER use pie charts but I made one to show reasons why I left.

Once things were settled I set out to increase NEAT. First a hike.

 

I lived here before and never went on hikes. I had no idea what was behind the mountains and it was quite spectacular. Had to do Kung Fu on the mountain as tradition dictates :)

Next, I decided to take myself to the first modern class in almost a year. I felt sick seeing many of my contemporaries...people who I had tired so hard to outperform in the past, who now surpassed me on every level. I absolutely loathed being in the class because of the SAID principle.

In physical/sports/athletic training, the SAID principle asserts that the human body adapts specifically to imposed demands. What you practice you get good at... My body and brain had adapted to teaching 3 year olds for an hour a day, with few other outlets. NEAT was low.

One would assume this class to not only be extremely physically demanding, yet also mentally. 80% of the movement was met with resistance from my brain.

This weekend I decided to try Kung Fu again to increase my NEAT and because I had a dream about it. After almost getting into several car accidents (I think some entity did not want me to go to Kung Fu today) I found a place. This is how it went...

Again because of low NEAT and the SAID principle...I hated it. It was not the same Kung Fu I'd been training and these people were much more vicious to someone on their first day than I expected. I got four blows to the head in the first hour. And the girl giving me the intro must have been a kinesthetic learner... She had me hold up a thin pad...and hit me as hard as she could in the chest. Knocked the wind right out. I felt like I needed to stand there nonchalantly and I cannot remember what the point of that particular lesson was about.

The style is called Wing Chun... they don't really do forms, just fight and train. 

I don't know if I want to commit to their school. There are many things I want to try to increase NEAT. Capoeria, Muy Thai, Fencing, Hip Hop, more hikes... So yup. That sums up the last 2 weeks.