Burn Calories Without Exercise? That's NEAT!

Is there a way to burn calories without exercise? Sure there is, but it might not be what you're thinking.

I am an advocate for regular, daily exercise, if at all possible.

Daily exercise helps us in so many ways. Folks who exercise on a daily basis will often tell me that they sleep better, they have more self confidence, more energy, feel better in the clothes that they wear and they are often much better at achieving and maintaining weight loss, than those patients who do not exercise as regularly.

Having said this, some people actually burn more calories than others, through a process called, 'NEAT,' or 'Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.'

'Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis' or (NEAT) is also referred to as lifestyle activity and accounts for calories burned in the process of non-volitional activities such as running errands, hand washing your car, walking the dog, mowing the lawn, vacuuming the house, doing laundry, shopping or other activities that require an ongoing expenditure of energy, but is not by definition, one's formal exercise.

For some people, NEAT may account for a significant daily energy expenditure, relative to folks who tend to be less active or seek a lifestyle that involves more sedentary activity.

Some reports indicate that the individual variation of NEAT in humans may equate to a 10-fold difference or the equivalent energy required to run a marathon.

So, if you happen to know someone who appears to be 'naturally thin' or just seems to have a never-ending stream of energy to get things done, take note. These folks may actually be unconsciously putting the power of 'NEAT' to work.

Can you model these folks? Sure you can. You can park your car further away when out shopping, mow your own lawn, do your own house cleaning, pace while your talking on the phone or fold laundry while talking on the phone. Try to expend energy while doing the things that you might otherwise relegate to someone else. Try to avoid lingering on the couch watching television. Get out of your car and walk inside when doing your banking, as opposed to using the drive through.

Try to make a game out of getting the laundry folded and put away in as short a period of time as possible or washing the dishes in the sink as efficiently as you can without dragging and watching TV in the process. Who knows, you may even find that you can free up 30 minutes in your day to add formal exercise......and you may also find some extra energy to get that exercise done!

Until next time, move more, eat cleaner and stay positive and healthy.

All the best,
Richard Kelley, M.D.