It might save on your heating bill, but unfortunately it won’t be a very effective weight loss program.
Too bad for those of us living in the colder climes- I was hoping for a bigger benefit, but according to an article in the NY times, Dr. Wayne Askew of the U. of Utah, says its not going to help much.
“Yes, caloric expenditure will increase if one stays lightly dressed, but not much. A more effective way would be to walk up and down a few flights of stairs.” He says basal metabolic rate increases slightly in colder climates. “ A more significant increase can be expected if it is cold enough to cause shivering, which warms the body through quick involuntary contractions and relaxations of muscles.” Well we are doing plenty of that these days.
“And it is very difficult to perform work requiring fine motor coordination, such as writing or using a computer, when shivering,” Dr. Askew said.
“When the core body temperature gets dangerously low and the shivering response is maximally stimulated, Dr. Askew said, energy expenditure can be as high as that from work requiring 40 percent to 50 percent of the person’s maximum aerobic capacity. But if the core temperature drops low enough, the shivering response ceases and hypothermia can rapidly set in.” Not a good thing!
So after all that I think we need to stay warm while sitting at our computers, but get
bundled up
and get out and enjoy some vigorous exercise like snow showing, cross country
skiing or just a good walk.
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