Increase your Calorie Burn with NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)?

It’s getting cold out and it feels like it’s dark ALL the time.  Bottom line, getting up to work out is a struggle… at least for me it is.  But, what if I told you exercise isn’t the end all be all when it comes to calorie burn for weight loss or weight maintenance.  Surprisingly, NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) burns more calories than EAT (exercise activity thermogenesis) for the average person.  Basically, how much you move during the day in total has a bigger calorie burn than your scheduled exercise (unless you’re an elite athlete training for the olympics or something- go you!).  

What exactly is NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)?

It’s the calories burned from the second you get out of bed in the morning, until you hit the sack again at night.  In the “olden times” we used to burn a lot more NEAT calories with farming, walking, housework.  But these days, people can lead pretty sedentary lives.  Think: desk job.  Sitting 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, can really make it difficult to burn calories.  Trying to move more can be difficult, but check this out:

The National Institutes of Health tells us that in an hour, the average 170 lb. person burns 134 calories sitting vs 206 calories standing.  The calories go up almost another 100 if you’re walking.  But if your work keeps you stuck at your desk all day, what can you do?  Enter: the invention of the treadmill desk.  

But exercise is really important for burning those calories, right?

Not as much as you think.  Physical Activity in general is made up of EAT (planned workouts) and NEAT (just going about your day).  Both are the calories burned you have control over more so than your basal metabolic rate or thermic effect of food (for more info on your total energy expenditure, check out this blog post)..  EAT accounts for about 5-10% of your total calories burned each day.  NEAT on the other hand accounts for 10-25% of your total calories burned, with some people clocking in at 50% of their calories burned from NEAT.  

So, how do I up my NEAT?

• Fidget! That’s right, shaking those legs, bobbing your foot, tapping your fingers, all burn more calories than just sitting there.
• Cleaning, not only do you get a cleaner house, but you’re going to burn some extra calories
• Shovel snow, rake, garden, weed
• Mow your grass (not on a ride on mower)
• Invest in a standing desk
• Stand, or better yet, pace when you’re on a call
• Park further away, take the stairs, take more than one trip to bring in the groceries.
• Dance with your kids or play fetch with the dog

If you burn an additional 100 calories a day (that’s standing for a little over an hour at your desk) it can result in a 10lb weight loss in a year, without changing anything else.

Bottom line:

Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a workout.  Instead, wash the car in the driveway or play with the kids at the playground instead of watching.  Calorie burn happens all day, everyday, not just during your workouts, so stress less about the planned workouts and move more!

Stay Happy, Stay Healthy

This blog was written by Chris Henigan MS, RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition.  For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook.  Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (simplestartnutrition.com) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.  We’re here to help.

References:

Levine JA 2004 Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Nutr Rev 62:S82-97

Kotz CM, Levine JA. Role of nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) in obesity. Minn Med. 2005 Sep;88(9):54-7. PMID: 16475414.