5 Easy Ways To Increase Your NEAT!

NEAT - it stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.

Basically it means the calories you burn throughout the day that are not specifically attributed to exercise, but rather are burned during your regular life activities. The fact is, all activity burns calories - eating, walking, washing dishes, making your bed, dressing yourself… Not all activities burn a whole lot of calories, but they all add up! And the more activity you can fit into your day, no matter what it is, the better!

Picking up puppies totally counts! There's no better way to burn a couple extra calories in my opinion...

I wrote a post awhile back about how metabolism isn’t really to blame for most adult weight gain, but it’s mainly caused by a decrease in physical activity in general due to lifestyle factors of adulthood, and NEAT is part of that equation.

It’s hard to keep moving when you spend a lot of your day behind a desk, in the car, and then on the couch. Even those who have a dedicated gym routine can feel the effects of decreased NEAT over time without really realizing how much their daily activity has actually diminished.

How can we fix this? Good news: it’s EASY! You can rack up a good amount of extra calories burned just by amping up your NEAT - here are some of my favorite ways to start burning more today!

1. Park your car FAR. It’s tempting to fight for the closest spot in the parking lot, and we’ll even wait longer just so we have to walk less… Make it a priority to undo this habit! The farther you walk to get to and from your destination, the more “bonus” calories you’ll burn - you can even use a fitness tracker if you have one to keep tabs on your daily steps and set goals for yourself, it’s always fun to hit the numbers you’re reaching for!

2. Take the stairs. ALWAYS. No more escalators, no more elevators. Use those legs! Utilizing your big leg muscles (quads, glutes, hamstrings) burns more calories than using smaller muscles, and adding the vertical element of stair stepping further increases the demand which translates to more calorie burn. Yay!

3. Spend more time on your feet. When I’m working with clients, even though I’m coaching and not performing every rep along with them, I burn way more calories per hour than if I’m working from home sitting down the whole time. I noticed this when I worked a desk job also - I made it a point to print copies from the farthest printer, I’d walk to my manager’s office to talk to her instead of calling, I’d go get a heavy ream of paper to refill the copy machine, etc. This not only helped me stay alert and energized throughout the day, it kept me constantly adding to my NEAT. Whatever little extra you can do, even if you’re stuck at work, definitely helps!

4. Keep a tidy house. When I read stats on the calorie burn of certain domestic activities (vacuuming, cleaning, etc.) I frankly thought it sounded silly to even consider the energy expenditure for these pretty mellow daily necessities, but it really does all add up! I can tell the difference when I compare my calorie burn (I use a FitBit) from days where I’m puttering around the house vs. when I sit and work on my computer all day. Perhaps it’s not a mind-blowing workout to clean up your house, but just walking back and forth a few times putting things away does contribute to better NEAT numbers… Over time, these little bits accumulate and are worth it - plus, who doesn’t like a clean house? :)

5. Play GAMES! This one is SUPER important in my family but I think isn’t mentioned very often - we love to play games together because it’s fun, and the little boost of activity you get is just a bonus! I’m not even talking about traditionally physical activities like playing sports, but regular games like darts, bean bag toss, sling ball, playing horse shooting hoops, spike ball (even though that’s pretty physical by nature, it’s SUPER FUN)… Any games that keep you on your feet and moving even a LITTLE bit, but they’re so fun that you don’t even notice how active you’re being. It’s a great way to increase your NEAT while bonding and making memories with those you love. Getting a solid ab workout from laughing doesn’t hurt either!

While it might seem like you don’t have enough energy or time to incorporate these techniques into your daily life, I guarantee you that making them a priority and being more active on a regular basis gives you MORE energy and makes you feel more capable and alive! It’s sitting all the time that makes us feel sluggish, tired, and unmotivated. The more you do, the better you’ll feel - and that will help you do even more, and feel even better!

Building even short bursts of activity into your daily life will eventually add up to more calorie burn and better health without you even really noticing - just changing your most basic activity habits is enough to make a difference.

So let’s get moving, and KEEP moving, together - now!! There’s no wrong time to get on your feet and do some STUFF. It doesn’t even really matter what it is, because it’s all good!

More movement = better health, more energy, and easier weight management.

What do you find easily increases your NEAT? What are your favorite non-exercise activities that keep you healthy and lean?

Please feel free to comment, upvote, or resteem if you’d like! :)