This whole eating well and being healthy thing can be really tricky, so one of my main goals in life is to cut through the noise and make it easier for people like you! I’m back at it today…
In my more than 10 years of helping people lose weight and get healthier, there is one thing that I am SCREAMING from the mountaintops that is SO simple, SUCH an easy change that can really kick start progress, but yet, hardly anyone is doing it!
Wanna know what it is?
You need more NEAT.
NEAT? Huh? What?
NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. That’s fancy speak for the calories you burn through daily activities that aren’t traditional “exercise.” This includes things like walking to get a cup of coffee, tapping your foot, or even standing instead of sitting.
These small activities add up throughout the day and can really impact your body’s overall calorie burn and composition, helping you to manage or lose weight without formal workouts.
NEAT is a component of our daily energy expenditure that often flies under the radar but plays a crucial role in our overall health and well-being.
Everyone is thinking that hardcore exercise is where it’s at - and I’m all about sweating, building muscle, and doing hard active things you enjoy - but if you’re sitting on your booty the majority of the day we’ve got lower hanging fruit we can pick, sister! 🙌
I’m getting ready to blow your mind…
Did you know that the calories we burn through NEAT are often significantly MORE than those burned during focused exercise sessions?
That means that by being MORE active throughout your day, you can burn a LOT more calories than you do by formal exercise.
Ok, ok, so I need to move my body more…but how?
How to increase your NEAT:
Increasing your NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) is all about incorporating more movement into your daily routine. At first, you have to be super intentional, but over time this will become a part of your lifestyle that you don’t have to give much thought to… (AWESOME!)
Here are 10 simple and effective ideas to help you boost your daily calorie burn without setting aside time for a structured workout:
Stand Up More: Use a standing desk or create a makeshift one by stacking books or boxes. Try to stand for a few minutes every hour.
Take Walking Meetings: Instead of sitting in a conference room, suggest walking meetings. This can be especially refreshing and can boost creativity.
Use the Stairs: Skip the elevator and take the stairs whenever possible. Even going up and down a few flights of stairs adds up over the course of the day.
Park Farther Away: Choose parking spots that are farther away from the entrance of wherever you’re going. There are always plenty of spots in the back! This small change adds extra steps.
Pace While You Talk: Take phone calls standing up and pace back and forth or even just stand still. It’s healthier than sitting and adds up in terms of calories burned.
Household Chores: Engage in more vigorous house cleaning or gardening. Activities like sweeping, vacuuming, and mowing the lawn can significantly increase your NEAT.
Cook More Often: Cooking or even meal prepping involves a lot of standing, chopping, and moving around the kitchen, which increases your activity level compared to just sitting and eating.
Take Active Breaks: Instead of scrolling through your phone during breaks, take a brisk walk around your office or your block, do some stretching, or a quick set of stairs.
Incorporate Movement into TV Time: During commercials, get up and do household tasks, or try simple exercises like squats, lunges, or jumping jacks.
Implementing these simple strategies can naturally add more movement into your day and can certainly help with weight loss and overall health! Win-win!
Yet most of us still lead sedentary lifestyles, where we spend much of our time sitting—at desks, in cars, and in front of screens—we tend to overlook the significance of simply moving more throughout the day.
Studies show that we can STRONGLY influence the amount of calories we burn every day by up to 50% by simply including more movement! You can do this, and it only requires some simple shifts!
With the weather getting nicer and the days longer, there’s plenty of opportunity to embrace moving MORE. Even small changes can make a big difference!
Where are you at with movement?
Could you stand to add a bit more in throughout your day?
Which tip do you think you could implement TODAY?
Need help putting a plan together to make some healthy lifestyle changes? Book a 1:1 call with me!