05/21/2025
Today’s health focus is NEAT!!
I mean, it’s a cool topic AND it’s also about Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
Say what??
NEAT is the energy expended by our bodies when we are doing anything this is not sleeping, eating or performing traditional exercise. That amounts to about 110-115 hours of our week that affect our weight, that happens outside of the gym or the kitchen.
These 110 hours a week can work for OR against you. When spent intentionally, they can help you achieve a more active metabolism, which is what so many of us are looking for. Higher levels of NEAT are also linked to lower risk of metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and all cause mortality.
So, how can we use these hours to our benefit??? So glad you asked….
✨stand instead of sitting while on the phone or texting and consider raising the height of your work surface so you can stand for portions of your work day.
✨find opportunities to walk often during your day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away, walk to a co workers office instead of emailing. Set a daily step goal and increase it gradually
✨think like a child. You know how kids are often moving and fidgeting? That’s not always a bad thing…run around the backyard with the kids, play fetch with your dog, tap your toes or stretch while sitting and change positions often
✨ include strength training as part of your workout regimen. Building muscle speeds up your metabolism which equates to more calories burned when you’re NOT working out
✨tidy up the house in between zoom calls, meal prep instead of eating prepared food or take out and go to the grocery store instead of getting groceries delivered.
I’d love to hear how you’re all choosing to up the NEAT factor today ⬇️⬇️⬇️
To your health!
