Fitness: Learn to lose weight the NEAT way

Are you restricted from exercise by age or illness? Or do you just simply abhor deliberate exercise? Nina Odongo shares ideas on how to burn calories through our day-to-day activities

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) is a really fancy way of saying anything we do that isn’t sleeping, eating or deliberate exercise still burns energy.

Simple things like sitting or fidgeting expend calories, which is great news for those people who abhor any form of organised exercise.

Even if you do exercise regularly, NEAT calories can make up upto 40 per cent of your total daily caloric burn, based on your activity levels.

Using NEAT to channel your day-to-day activities can be the perfect way for people to lose weight without having to spend an inordinate amount of time at the gym.

It is also ideal for people who are restricted by how much exercise they can actually do e.g. severely overweight, injured, sick or elderly people.

The reality about exercise is that, on its own, it is not enough if your corresponding lifestyle is sedentary and calorific.

If you go to the gym regularly but spend the rest of the time sitting at your desk or in front of the TV eating snacks, you may not see the changes you want to see.

NEAT means it is important to consider how else you can expend energy during your day-to-day activities.

Start by assessing how much time you spend moving vs being sedentary. You may be surprised by your levels of inactivity!

Note down how many hours each day you spend sitting or reclining. Pay attention to any patterns e.g. more often on weeknights and weekends. Think of how to increase movement during these times; try to make this as stress-free as possible. The whole idea behind NEAT is that it should be as organic as possible.

To really ensure you are moving as much as you can during the day to expend energy, consider altering how you do most of your daily activities.

Rather than using the escalator or lift, walk up and down flights of stairs; the more the better. Spend your evenings clearing out those kitchen drawers rather than sitting on the sofa. Weekends could involve some sort of outdoor exercise such as walking or cycling in Karura, zip-lining in Ngong Hills or going swimming at your local health club. When you’re at the office, get up and walk around every few minutes. Rather than using the office chat app, walk over to a colleague’s desk to say hello. Don’t spend your lunch break sitting at your desk browsing on your computer. Once you are done eating, take a leisurely stroll outside to stretch your legs and catch some sunshine. When you go to the mall, rather than spending ages circling the car park to find the closest parking, park in the farthest you can find or near the entrance. If you’re using public transport, choose to take a walk to the next stage or alight a stage before your destination. Carry your groceries to the car rather than use a shopping cart.

These are just a few simple examples of how you can use NEAT in your day-to-day life to increase how many calories you burn.

Did you know that that burning just an extra 100 calories a day can equate to losing approximately 5kgs in a year? Weight that is likely to stay off because it has been shed slowly.

NEAT is not just another exercise you are forced to endure. It is a lifestyle.