Isn't NEAT neat?!

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Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT for short, refers to the energy you expend throughout the day doing activities that aren't considered exercise.

Let’s break that down real quick.

“The energy you expend” is just a fancy ass way of saying “the calories you burn”. Remember that while calories get a bad rap, a calorie is just simply a unit of energy. We don’t hate calories, calories are good, we need them! Calories are what keep your heart beating, your lungs breathing, and your colon digesting!  Calories are what allow us to take walks, complete our workouts, and even just get out of bed in the morning.

The second part said that it’s the energy we expend throughout the day doing activities that aren’t considered exercise. What the heck are activities that aren’t exercise? These activities can include things like walking, cleaning, gardening, playing with the dog, and even fidgeting or just standing.

NEAT has gotten lots of attention lately because these are simple, free, easy to implement ways to burn quite a few more calories per day.

We will start with some strategies to increase NEAT then we will talk about WHY:

1. Incorporate more walking: Take opportunities to walk whenever possible.

   For example, use stairs instead of elevators

   Park farther away from your destination

   Take the long way to the bathroom at work – every 5-10 extra steps add up throughout the day!

   Get an under the desk treadmill and take a nice slow stroll all throughout your day.

2. Stand instead of sitting: Find ways to incorporate more standing into your day. Use a standing desk if possible and take standing breaks during prolonged sitting.

3. Household chores: Listen, do NOT shoot the messenger here BUT activities like cleaning, gardening, and organizing can be great NEAT boosters. What more motivation could you need to clean out that closet or put away the laundry that’s been sitting in the basket for a week than a bump in calorie burn?

4. Move while watching TV: Do some light exercises while watching TV, such as marching in place, doing couch squats, or using resistance bands. You can even get in some gentle mobility, stretching, or foam rolling while watching your shows.

5. Take frequent breaks at work: If you have a desk job, make an effort to take breaks every 30 minutes or every hour. Stand up, stretch, and take a short walk around the office or outside if possible.

6. Get active hobbies: Engage in activities that you enjoy and that involve movement. Whether it's dancing, swimming, yoga, gardening, or hiking, find activities that keep you active and make them a regular part of your routine. (Yeah, I know that’s basically exercise but make it something you enjoy!)

7. Encourage movement in social settings: Plan outings or activities with friends and family that involve physical activity, such as going for a walk together, ax throwing, bowling, even Escape Games keep you moving!

Remember, the key is just to incorporate more movement into your daily routine. By making small changes and being mindful of opportunities for physical activity, you can increase your NEAT and contribute to overall energy expenditure.

Now, WHY should you bother doing this besides the obvious – to burn more calories?

1. Increasing NEAT improves your metabolic health, namely improving insulin sensitivity and regulating blood sugar levels. This can go a LONG way towards improving your metabolism and preventing and managing type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.

2. There are heart health benefits too! Increasing NEAT can strengthen your heart, improve circulation, and lower your overall risk of heart disease.

3. Being physically active throughout the day is directly linked to improved mental wellness. It can help you reduce or at least cope with stress, improve brain power, and improve your mood.

4. Improved posture, core strength, and bone health – increasing NEAT can help to prevent back pain and body misalignment.

5. It’s simple, sustainable, and FREE. Increasing your NEAT will be the easiest thing you do to improve your health long term. It’s something we can all do to some extent every single day.

There you have it!  Isn’t NEAT neat?!? What questions do you have?

Shoot me an email about it and let's chat! ➡️ [email protected]

Remember that you can always connect with me on Instagram as well! I am very active there and post most days of the week. ➡️ Mathandmacros on Instagram

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