The N.E.A.T. Way to Exercise

Most people think that the only way to burn calories is through scheduled exercise sessions. Although exercise is an effective method to expend a lot of calories, there are additional ways to burn them throughout the day. Both weight loss and weight maintenance can be made easier with a clear understanding of non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or N.E.A.T.

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis includes the calories expended outside of exercise, eating, and sleeping. There are many N.E.A.T. activities that we already do but may not realize its caloric output effect. Simple tasks such as raking leaves, physical labor, climbing stairs and even fidgeting help us expend additional calories. In essence, N.E.A.T. increases metabolic rate and results in a substantial energy cost overtime.

Most people spend most of their day at work. One way to increase caloric burn is to implement non-exercise movements throughout the workday

So how can you increase your N.E.A.T. during the workday when you have a desk job?

Here are some creative ideas to integrate movement:

Change your mode of transportation. Walk, bike or bus to work instead of driving. This starts and ends the day on a good note, along with a breath of fresh air.

Implement walking meetings. Head outdoors and boost your team’s creativity with a walking meeting. Walking is an effective way to burn calories, stimulate the brain and creating team bonding.

Throw out your garbage can. Give your eyes and body a break from the computer screen by removing your garbage can from under your desk. This gives you a reason to get up and walk to another room or break room to throw out your trash or recycling materials.

Create wellness challenges. Talk to your HR or Wellness department about creating walking challenges. If HR cannot help, form walking teams within your department. One challenge may include walking 10,000 steps per day for 10 days. Individuals who met or exceed the challenge goals can win a prize or an incentive reward. Pedometers and Fitbit devices are beneficial tools to track these steps.

Take the stairs. This old adage still rings true. Skip the elevator and take the stairs to keep the body moving throughout the day.

Stand instead of sit. Adjustable and treadmill desks are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace. However, if these desks are not available, raise your work to a podium or counter so you can stand throughout the day. This is advantageous for those who need to read or work from a laptop or mobile device. Resting heart rate is higher while standing than sitting, thus increasing caloric output.

Accumulated physical activity can significantly increase the number of calories burned throughout the day or week. Therefore, if you’re tied behind the desk remember there are plenty of ways to incorporate movement when you cannot formally exercise. Other N.E.A.T. examples include:

· Playing with your kids

· Completing yard work

· Grocery shopping

· Walking the dog

· Cleaning the house

So, the next time you’re looking to rev up your calorie burn, choose the N.E.A.T. way to stay active. N.E.A.T. is a beneficial addition to your exercise routine that does not take time away from home or family—perfect for those who find time is their worst enemy.

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