You’ve ditched the gym, but that doesn’t mean you’re missing out on movement. If your days are filled with tasks like walking your dog, gardening, or even just pacing while on the phone, you’re engaging in what experts call NEAT—non-exercise activity thermogenesis. This sneaky way of burning calories might just be the fitness routine you’ve been looking for without realizing it.
NEAT involves all those physical activities we do outside of sleeping, eating, and formal exercise. Personal trainer Sarah Pelc Graca explains that NEAT refers to the energy burned through those seemingly insignificant movements that accumulate throughout your day. Whether you’re taking the stairs, cleaning your house, or playing with your kids, you’re actively contributing to your total energy expenditure without hitting the gym.
Understanding how our bodies use energy can be quite eye-opening. NEAT represents one component of our total energy expenditure, or TEE, which is the total calories we burn daily. Alongside NEAT, our TEE comes from our basal metabolic rate (BMR), the calories burned through traditional exercise, and the thermic effect of food, which is the energy used for eating and digesting.
Being mindful of NEAT is crucial for maintaining an active lifestyle, particularly because excessive sitting is linked to health issues such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Behavioral medicine expert Keith Diaz advises regular movement, emphasizing that our bodies thrive on activity to function optimally.
You might wonder how to incorporate more NEAT into your life. The trick is to become conscious of these movements and creatively find ways to integrate them into daily routines. Short walks around the office, standing more often, and choosing physical activities over sedentary ones are some simple changes you can make. Personal trainer Tami Smith suggests parking farther from your destination or using household chores as mini-workouts to boost your NEAT.
Despite its benefits, NEAT isn’t a one-size-fits-all replacement for structured exercise. While it’s great for health maintenance, especially for those with limited mobility, it doesn’t replace the strength and cardiovascular benefits of regular workouts. Trainer Michael Betts highlights that while NEAT can aid weight management and basic health, traditional exercises are key for muscle growth and bone health.
Therefore, it’s wise to balance NEAT with other forms of exercise to ensure a comprehensive approach to health. This means consciously engaging in a mix of moderate-intensity aerobic activities and muscle-strengthening routines, as recommended by health authorities.
NEAT provides an accessible way to stay active throughout the day, blending seamlessly with your daily life and offering health benefits along the way. Yet, maintaining a balance between NEAT activities and formal exercise sessions is crucial for achieving overall fitness goals. So, move more in small ways, but don’t forget to include those structured workouts as part of your routine for a healthier, more active lifestyle.
Source: Yahoo
