NEAT is:
Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis:
It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is. According to an article written by Levine JA written at the Endocrine Research Unit.
“It is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleep, eating or sports-like exercise. It ranges from the energy expended walking to work, typing, performing yard work, undertaking agricultural tasks and fidgeting”.
By increasing your NEAT activity alongside your training will help to create a calorie deficit (Eating less than your body requires).
By creating this calorie deficit you cause your body to use what energy it has stored, thus burning any excessive fat that you have stored. Meaning you lose weight.
Simple ways you can increase your NEAT activity:
- Increase your walk to work. Park the car further back in the office car park, if possible get off the train a stop earlier and walk the last bit.
- Cut the grass (obviously when it rains so the grass can grow!).
- Do some gardening.
- Walk to your local shop wherever possible. Or again park your car further back to increase the walk. Not only will this increase your NEAT, it will also help prevent any wally’s hitting your car!
- Clean your car yourself.
- If you work in an office and have regular meetings, maybe suggest a standing or walking meeting? There is an added bonus here to, by doing these types of meetings you will find that they don’t run as long and they get to point a lot quicker!
- If at all possible maybe go for a walk on your lunch break. This will also help to refresh your mind for the afternoons work.
- Ditch the Lifts or the Escalators and walk up the stairs. Not only will it burn a few extra calories, it’s generally quicker to!
- Embrace the fidget! There is nothing wrong with a bit of fidget every now and then, this can be wiggle your toes, moving your feet under the desk. But don’t start waving your arms around in the office and suggest a Mexican wave, otherwise people may start to think your a bit of a loon.
By Increasing your NEAT levels throughout the day you could be burning an extra 350 calories. Now this figure is not set in stone, so depending on what you do and how you do it could change massively!