You don’t just burn calories when you go to the gym. Walking to your car, taking the stairs at work, sweeping your floors — they all burn calories! This kind of lifestyle activity is what fitness experts call NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis).
Each burst of NEAT activity may not burn a huge number of calories. But all that activity added up each day can burn more calories than running for half an hour on the treadmill. Pretty “neat,” huh?
These easy activities don’t just burn calories. They also have health benefits. Moving more in small ways can help boost metabolism, reduce blood pressure, and give you more energy.
Get More Steps With NEAT
- Pace around your bedroom or bathroom while you brush your teeth.
- Waiting for coffee or tea to brew? Pace, do jumping jacks, or march in place.
- Make a few trips when carrying groceries into the house. Don’t carry them all at once. Take pride in the bonus calorie-burning!
- Challenge yourself. Seek out stairs rather than escalators or elevators.
- When you do need to take the elevator, try getting off one floor early. Walk the rest of the way!
- At work, use a restroom that’s slightly farther away than the closest one. The extra steps will add up!
- Schedule “walking meetings” at work to keep your heart rate up. Moving can also get your creative juices flowing.
- When taking the train or bus, exit before you need to. Walk the rest of the way to your stop.
- Park farther away when shopping or running errands. If stores are fairly close, walk from store to store.
- When on the phone, pace around your home or office. You can even walk outside.
- If you bring your kids to after-school or weekend activities, walk around while you wait for them.
- Track your steps. Set a goal each day. When that gets easy, set a slightly higher goal.
PM04039.B