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N.E.A.T is actually pretty neat! If this makes absolutely no sense to you, you are not alone. Only until recently, the word “neat” in my world meant something like this.
You get the picture. Anyone can say those statements for a variety of reasons. However, I bet you never heard of the term “Neat” when it comes to exercise. Let me be more specific. N.E.A.T is an acronym for:
The first three words are pretty self-explanatory, but let’s define the fourth, just in case. Thermogenesis is when your body is burning energy and creating heat because you are moving around. For example, when you shovel snow, you begin to sweat. N.E.A.T is actually pretty neat because it is the exercise that you do while you are:
It’s when you move your body without focusing on the exercise itself. N.E.A.T is not a planned, constructed exercise. That means, no speed walking, Off-Road-Speed-Play, Spinning, weight training classes, and even the exercise snacks that you fit in, during your workday.
N.E.A.T is everything else your body does throughout the day.
N.E.A.T is actually pretty neat! But let’s dive a bit deeper. And the only way to jump into this topic is by consulting an expert.
Who else can I ask but the very famous Debra Basch? (@coach_debra_basch) “Lady The F Up” (@ladyTheFup) Coach, certified personal trainer, nutritionist, and beautiful human being. Yes, I’m a huge fan of this lovely lady!
Here we go!
The simple answer is to keep our bodies working and running like a well-oiled machine. N.E.A.T is anything that is NOT planned and constructed exercise, as explained above. The higher your N.E.A.T output the better it is for you physiologically. From a health perspective, N.E.A.T provides energy for your immune system, vital organs, and your heart and lungs. When a person is trying to lose fat, the higher your N.E.A.T the better the results will be because all this “activity” requires energy and burns calories.
We burn calories all day long, even when we are sleeping. We have times when that caloric expenditure spikes up like during a brisk walk, climbing stairs, eating and digesting food and of course, planned and structured exercise.
Those who experience higher N.E.A.T will get a higher calorie expenditure for their day. Additionally, it will also help regulate their blood sugar and cholesterol levels in comparison to those that are sitters and mostly sedentary.
The human body has energy (caloric) requirements based on the following three factors:
The person with a higher NEAT would be living a healthier lifestyle as long as nutrition is in balance with 80% of food coming from a whole foods diet, body composition is in the correct percentages, and the minimum amount of exercise is done daily/weekly.
What is confusing to most people is realizing that N.E.A.T accounts for far more of our energy expenditure than our daily exercise grind!
For example, you push yourself in the gym daily for one hour to 90 minutes, but the rest of your day is spent commuting in a car or on public transit. Sitting at a desk, having someone else clean your house, shovel your driveway, and deliver your groceries. If you get someone else to do these activities, you are not contributing to your N.E.A.T.
You can end up feeling tired at the end of the day but this is likely not from N.E.A.T. The energy zappers could be more from stress, long work hours, dehydration, poor eating habits, and frankly sitting too much.
Want to increase your caloric expenditure? Get off your butt and move! Take the stairs whenever possible. Get outside for a walk around the block. Put on some music and dance around your kitchen while you are waiting for your water to boil. Aw, come on! It will be fun! 🙂
Your daily exercise regime should not be the only way you take care of your body. Incorporating movement throughout your day is what will make a difference in your overall health. The next time you misplace your phone and you are scrambling around your home looking for it, think of it as a good thing!