Casual Dress = Weight Loss Success

Fitness News Flash

-- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor & Health Educator

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A recent study from the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse looked at the relationship between clothing and physical activity while at work. Researchers studied 53 people in a variety of professions and tracked both their daily activity (measured by pedometers) and how casually or professionally dressed they were.

Results showed that people took an average of 491 more steps each day if they wore casual clothing to work. That means that just by dressing comfortably, study subjects increased their daily calorie burns by eight percent!

Action Sparked
Take advantage of your company's casual Friday or business-casual dress code. The easiest way to increase comfort, even in a polished-professional environment, is to wear practical shoes. Dress for comfort and you’ll be more likely to walk to a co-worker's desk, take the stairs…even walk the dog when you get home (rather than just letting him out in the backyard). No casual days at work? Have your own casual evenings and weekends. Or better yet, leave a copy of this study on your boss's desk.

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About The Author

Nicole Nichols
Nicole was named "America's Top Personal Trainer to Watch" in 2011. A certified personal trainer and fitness instructor with a bachelor's degree in health promotion and education, she loves living a healthy and fit lifestyle and helping others do the same. Her DVDs "Total Body Sculpting" and "28 Day Boot Camp" (a best seller) are available online and in stores nationwide. Read Nicole's full bio and blog posts.

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Member Comments

RHAL1462

I agree that the shoes make a big difference in how much moving/walking a woman does. I no longer even look at a shoe that has more than a 1" heel - too uncomfortable and not only do my feet get unhappy - my knees don't like it either any more. Comfortable shoes are out there to be worn for dress or casual and I am always on the lookout for great ones. I like shoes (and have too many!). - 1/25/2013 9:51:08 AM
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CORTNEY-LEE

I agree... it is the shoes! - 9/27/2012 9:07:45 PM
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ALISHAB3

Its the shoes: I can barely walk in fancy dress shoes, but I can book it in sneakers. - 9/27/2012 8:58:46 PM
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CORALINE01

i dont work in an office setting but in a landscape/ greenhouse/ nursery and the article makes sense because, i always wore jeans- my whole life. they helped contain the fat. but now that there less to contain i have been wearing those stretch yoga kind of pants and i find it so much easier to do everything. from setting out flats of plants to simply picking up something dropped. - 9/27/2012 8:09:46 PM
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SP_COACH_NANCY

Very interesting, but it makes sense! - 9/27/2012 6:38:25 PM
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BETTSI

I have to add something. Since getting serious about losing weight, I find that if I dress better (which usually translates to something more dressy), I find myself more motivated to stick to my plan. True, I might not be as physically active at work, but overall, I am motivated to continue to wear prettier clothes which means I have to watch what I eat! - 9/27/2012 3:03:32 PM
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HEALTHYNEWPAIGE

I totally regret wearing heels when I was younger. I thought I had to wear heels because that's what most women were wearing in the office. I did bring tennis shoes to change into for after work when I had to walk to take the bus, etc. However, it's been about 20 years since I last wore heels and my foot still hurts occasionally from where it used to be squished in those heels. Now I definitely move around more at work since I don't work in an office all day, I get to chase students around in my flat shoes, usually tennis shoes or running shoes, or at the worse - dressy flat shoes. - 9/27/2012 2:42:06 PM
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FLORENCEANN06

Or just don't wear shoes at all! That's the most comfortable way to get in extra steps. - 9/27/2012 1:27:13 PM
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TIEDYED69PEACE

An excellent example of how to manipulate data in order to relate two unrelated statistics. Many have said it: Chances are if you work in a more casually dress environment, it is because you move around more (Like a construction worker vs a secretary). The clothes didn't cause the exercise; they reflected it. - 9/27/2012 10:00:58 AM
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CAKEMAKERMOM

I somehow doubt they only polled office workers. Obviously laborers/ construction workers, who would wear probably jeans, t-shirts and steel toed boots would be moving around a lot more than those who wear business attire and normally work at a desk. I'm surprised it's only 400 something steps difference though. - 9/27/2012 9:07:04 AM
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GALINAZ

Here, here! I work from home but I found that if I put on my walking shoes first thing along with clothes I can sweat in, I get my exercise in more consistently. - 5/28/2012 11:03:05 PM
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AMYNYNJ

Some jobs require more moving around and thus allow for more casual clothes. I work for a conservative company where casual is not an option and only business casual is allowed. I still wear comfortable shoes, but my work clothes are definitely more dressy than weekend clothes. That being said, as soon as I get home I change into my workout clothes, so I'm comfortable and I'm ready to work out. - 1/30/2012 7:36:52 AM
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REJ7777

That's definitely been my experience! - 4/9/2011 9:46:53 AM
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PWINCESSEMILY

I don't believe in wearing uncomfortable shoes! I dress smart for work but I always wear smart flat shoes. Hurting my feet hurts the rest of my joints and my posture. Plus, I walk 3/4 of a mile to and from work/train station and wouldn't be able to do that in uncomfortable shoes. During the day? I suppose I would be less likely to be up and about speaking to colleagues over IMing them if I had uncomfortable shoes on. - 4/9/2011 4:58:54 AM
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CHRIS3874

Being a guy I suppose I could be accused of getting off easy in the footwear dept, EXCEPT my employer requires me to wear CSA approved (safety) footwear at work. Even Doc Marten shoes (which BTW were TONS better when they were STILL made in England as opposed to Chinra) are ubcimfortbale after an 8+ hr day. - 1/28/2011 10:29:32 PM
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