A NEAT Way to Burn Calories: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis

Estée is a certified Sports Nutritionist and Personal Trainer. She welcomes your comments at eross@goldsgymtewksbury.com.

Dear Fitness Coach,

What I don't understand is how my older sister, no matter what she eats, never gains weight. Whereas I have been struggling with being overweight since I was a teenager. We both are slackers when it comes to exercise! What is the explanation, given that we share exactly the same genetics?

Stoutly Sista

Dear Sista,

It sounds like your sister may be reaping the benefits of NEAT: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Does your sister fidget a lot? Like to move around and keep busy? NEAT accounts for much of your movement and therefore caloric expenditure throughout the day. These are activities such as walking to lunch, pacing while on the phone, cleaning the house, cooking, climbing stairs, standing while you talk to a friend, or folding laundry. In other words, your sibling and all the other slender people out there - even if they do not participate in a structured exercise program - are not couch potatoes.

If you hate to exercise, but want to burn off those extra calories start to think NEAT.  The idea here is to keep your body moving regularly by doing  your usual tasks but with more physical activity.

The goal is to consciously think about moving more by adding little bits of movement into everyday activity.  Here are some examples:

·         Make your bed every day

·         Take the stairs each time

·         Pick the farthest spot in the parking lot and walk

·         Pace while you are on the phone

·         Sweep instead of vacuum

·         Dance while you clean

·         Play sports with your kids instead of just sitting and watching

·         Chop your own veggies instead of buying precut ones

If you incorporate some of these activities on a daily basis, you can be burning off an extra 500 calories a day, or 3500 calories a week. That’s a pound of fat right there!