What do you think the secret is? It might be pretty obvious… we need to burn more calories every day! How? By MOVING more.
Is that scientifically proven? Sure is!
Have you ever heard of NEAT calories? NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis.
Calories burned through NEAT (so the activities you do every day that aren’t a part of your designated “exercise” time) count for 15-30% of total daily caloric burn. Did you know that exercise only accounts for 5-10%? Wow! Your basal metabolic rate accounts for 60-65% and digesting food accounts for up to 5%. The conclusion? NEAT calories play a BIG role in how many calories you burn everyday, which will contribute to overall fat loss.
Check out the top ways to get in those NEAT calories on the daily
- Stand more (try a standing desk or ergonomic chair at work or set an alarm to get up at least 1x per hour every hour)
- Walk the sidelines or around the field at kids’ practices
- Take stairs instead of the elevator
- Park in the spot furthest away
- Don’t hit snooze- get up and get going!
- Play with dog/kids
- Walk/Bike to destination instead of drive (especially if you’re going to the gym!)
- Get off a stop earlier (if you’re on public transportation) and walk to your destination
- Take a morning or evening stroll (pro tip: get an activity tracker to count your steps and set a daily goal to hit!) ~10,000 steps/day is a great goal to strive for.
- Finish those household chores: laundry, vacuuming, ironing, washing dishes, cleaning- you name it- NEAT is at work!
- Talking on the phone? Walk and talk instead of sit and chat.
- Walk during your lunch break
- Do yardwork