NEAT, or Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis, is a fancy term for all of the moving you do in your day, not counting sleeping, eating, and “real” exercise. It includes doing the laundry, walking to and from your car, maintaining good posture, cooking dinner, and even fidgeting. And research is showing that this movement has some pretty big effects upon weight loss and improving other health factors as well.
As you move around, you burn calories. This isn’t a new concept; I remember when I was a little girl and my dad was talking about research showing that fidgety people tended to be thinner. When I was a teenager, he was talking about new health research showing that people who stood and laid down were healthier than people who just sat. “Sitting is deadly,” he often said. We then went through the “take the stairs” trend, and the “park in the furthest spot from your office building” trend, and later on, the 10,000 step trend.
Now we’re in the NEAT trend, and it’s pretty much saying the same thing in a different way. Ultimately, the take away is that people who spend their day doing some kind of movement yield more health benefits than people who do spurts of exercise (like the daily trip to the gym for some cardio, a spin class, HIIT training, etc.) and then remain mostly sedentary. There is a wealth of peer reviewed research documenting the benefits of NEAT for weight loss, cardiovascular health, and metabolic health; I have also seen it help with stress reduction, decreased anxiety, and regulating moods with my clients. I had some stubborn belly fat (thank you, perimenopause) that has improved since incorporating NEAT goals into my lifestyle plan.
The great thing about NEAT, at least for me, is that it’s not a workout. For the most part, I dread my workouts. I exercise because I have to; my body suffers if it doesn’t move, and I have significantly increased pain, inflammation, anxiety, and digestive issues. But that doesn’t mean I enjoy working out; it’s just better than the alternative. But NEAT is different. I can incorporate extra movement into my day’s activities, and I just look for any opportunity to expend a little more energy than I am already. It’s easy to change up my choices, or, if something is enjoyable, I stick with it. And I have lost both pounds and inches in the month that I’ve been doing it, in addition to feeling more energetic and positive overall.
Let’s talk about some options for getting in some NEAT activity into your day. Some of my favorites are:
- Taking the dog for a longer walk or an extra mini walk
- Bringing each ingredient to my kitchen counter, rather than grabbing a handful all at once, so I get more walking back and forth
- Emptying the dishwasher one plate/ cup/ pot at a time, and squatting to grab items on the bottom rack
- Cleaning up after I finish a task, rather than putting items in a pile to clean up later
- Straightening up as I find clutter; I used to put things at the bottom of the stairs and bring them up all at once when I was going upstairs for something else. Now if I see something that has to go up, I take the trip up right away.
- Take the long way from one room to another
- On days when I have back to back clients or meetings, I make sure to get up and walk around, even just for a minute, and stretch a little before sitting back at my desk.
- When my Apple watch tells me it’s time to stand, when possible, I actually do take a full minute to move around before I sit again.
- Always take the stairs over an elevator or escalator
These are some options that don’t really work for me on a regular basis, but have worked well with my clients:
- Park at the furthest spot from where you are going so the walk to and from the car is as long as possible
- Spread out your work environment so you have to get up and move around to reach supplies
- Take long, slow walks, up to several miles or 10,000 steps
- Eat your lunch without delay, then spend the rest of your lunch break walking
- Walk to close locations rather than taking the car
- Fidget. Make a conscious effort to just wiggle around, shake your foot, tap your fingers, and just never stop moving in your seat during the day
- Get a standing desk or treadmill desk or a portable mini pedal exerciser to incorporate movement if you have a desk job
- Set an alarm or some kind of reminder to take scheduled movement breaks
For my clients who need more individualized recommendations, we look at their daily life, what obstacles can’t be changed (such as being tied to a desk 40 hours per week, or knee pain that precludes adding squats, or any other issues that get it the way), and what movement is palatable. Do you like to walk, or is walking a big chore? Are you prepared for bigger movement goals, such as stairs, squats, running, heavy lifting to achieve bigger results? Or are you looking for something easier that is more appealing and more do-able for you, like adding basic movement to your day? Where can you add a few minutes? A single minute? One or two extra steps? Wiggles or fidgets? It’s all about finding what will work for you. What can you easily incorporate into your routine, that you don’t mind doing, that is sustainable long-term?
As always, I’m here to help! If you’d like to discuss some personalized recommendations that can get you literally moving toward your goals, reach out! E-mail me HERE and we can do this together!
Blessings,
Melanie
