ADL - Activities of Daily Living

So you finally made it to the gym.  You decide to work as hard as possible while your there.  You want to lose that 20lbs that has been sticking around and growing for the last couple of years.  So it begins: some cardio, some free weights, some strength machines, back to cardio and complete!  Your exhausted, but you know you've burned so many calories, your on your way!  You head back to your office or home, hit your office chair or couch, and there you stay for the rest of the day thinking about how great the workout was.  NOT SO FAST

Studies have shown that people tend to forget about the calories that are burned during ADL - Activities of Daily Living.  The simple tasks in life; walking to other worker desks instead of e-mailing them, heading down with a group of people to the break room which requires you to take stairs or walk a long distance, going to the grocery after work, playing with the kids, odd jobs around the house.  These simple tasks add to the burned calories for the day, and can sometimes be neglected because of sore or tired muscles from a strenuous workout.  It's easily overlooked and can extend the time it takes for you to hit your different healthy living goals. 

On those days when you've had a great workout, and the next day when you feel that you can't move an inch without the soreness hitting you, make sure you focus even more on your ADL.  When your body tells you "I can't get up," make sure yourself GET UP!  When your body tells you "skip going downstairs with your co-workers today," GET UP!  The more movement you have in your daily life, the more calories you will burn which will only add to the amount of fat you can lose.  So......GET UP!