Are You NEAT Active?

What is NEAT?. NEAT is the energy your body burns while doing everyday tasks like walking, driving, cleaning, and even fidgeting! It’s like the secret agent of calorie burning that we often forget about. The more active we are, our body requires more energy to perform the activity. This is called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.

NEAT is one of the four components of Total Energy Expenditure ( TEE )

( Below Image has been taken from the internet, I don’t hold any rights to it)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, obesity rates had skyrocketed. But did you know that one of the primary reasons for weight gain during this time is a reduction in NEAT activity? Being confined to home environments and having a more sedentary lifestyle lead to decreased physical activity and reduced NEAT. We can still see the effect post-pandemic.

Does this make sense now? Or start to make sense?

 It is fantastic if you exercise or play a sport for an hour a day! This is the best choice you have made.

What would you call a person who exercises one hour a day and is hardly moving for the rest of the day, Sedentary or Active ?.

If you remember in the earlier section, our friend   EAT ( Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), also known as ( PAT- Physica Activity Thermogenesis) is only a part of Total Energy Expenditure (TEE).  Training one hour or more in the gym is great as it increases our Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption ( EPOC).Still, you cannot ignore NEAT, the second significant contributor To Total Energy Expenditure ( TEE) after TEF & BMR.

Exercise takes  90 mins a day & NEAT  12-14 hours a day.

Neat is in our control. The more active we are more energy we Expel, which aids in achieving our fitness goals. Therefore, NEAT plays a crucial role in our fitness journey.

Why are we Neat deficient?

Back in the day, we were much more active. So let us start looking at simple examples with modern-day substitution.

A) We walked a lot more, replaced by cars and other means of transport. B) We played more sports, replaced by t.v video games (a major problem among kids). C) walking was a necessity and now has become an exercise. D) Doing chores in the house, replaced by house help. E) Driving car, replaced by the driver. F) work environment -> long working hours G) Lifestyle change and social commitment taking priority.

How can we increase our Neat?

We all know the answer to this is active trough out the day, like:

1) Walking 10 mins within the home or office before or post-meal. 2) Parking a car away from your destination. 3) Walk a few rounds of home or office during the day, and keep a target of covering XYZ number of rounds during the day. 4)Take the stairs and avoid elevators. 5) End your day by walking—the best way to calm your brain and reduce stress. 6) Standing desk is a great alternative. 7) Take part in doing house chores; start your day by making your own bed.

Benefits of NEAT. It helps to increase our metabolism. Aids in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Help to burn calories throughout the day. ( remember 2^nd biggest contributor to TEE)

We all know how to be active during the day But, The point here is a practical application and willingness to change.

One needs to come to terms with acknowledging that training for one hour is not enough. Being healthy and fit is a 24-hour duty, from what you eat – to- exercise – to- how much you move during the day. A combination of all three will help us to reach our goal.

It is about the Decision and commitment towards the decision, followed by discipline.

Start with small changes And take one day at a time.

Conclusion:

By adopting NEAT principles, we can break away from a sedentary lifestyle and become more mindful of our physical activity levels. Ultimately, the key to success lies in embracing NEAT as a philosophy rather than a temporary solution. By making conscious choices and consistently striving for an active lifestyle, we can improve our energy expenditure and reap the numerous benefits of increased physical activity. So let’s seize the opportunity to enhance our well-being and take charge of our lives by implementing Neat principles today.

“It is important to note that both NEAT and spontaneous physical activity are not interchangeable but represent complementary concepts.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279077/

References

Flegal KM, Kruszon-Moran D, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, Ogden CL. Trends in Obesity Among Adults in the United States, 2005 to 2014, JAMA. 2016;315:2284–2291. [PubMed]6.

Chung N, Park M-Y, Kim J, Park H-Y, Hwang H, Lee C-H, Han J-S, So J, Park J, Lim K. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): a component of total daily energy expenditure, J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2018;22:23–30. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

Levine JA. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), Nutr Rev. 2004;62:S82–97. [PubMed]