NEAT -the importance of both structured and incidental exercise in your day.
We all know that daily structured exercise is good for our overall health. However did you know that the general movement that we complete on a day to day basis (or lack thereof), also plays a role in contributing to our overall health and wellbeing?
What is NEAT?
NEAT stands for “non-exercise activity thermogenesis” and is the term used to refer to the energy we use daily for all activities outside of those required for survival such as eating and sleeping, along with energy expended as a result of planned and purposeful exercise. These activities are often referred to as “incidental exercise” and can include a number of things including:
Getting in and out of a chair
Running errands
Fidgeting
Walking up a flight of stairs
Housework
But isn’t structured exercise enough?
The Australian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend adults aged 18-64yrs of age complete structured physical activity most days of the week, including a combination of aerobic and strengthening exercises. And while there is no denying this is great for our overall health and assist with disease prevention, this alone is sometimes not enough. For example if you spend one hour of your day exercising but then spend the next eight desk bound at work, then maybe another two hours at night unwinding on the couch that equates to ten hours of your day sitting! Add to that the time you spend sleeping there isn’t a whole lot of movement occurring. Prolonged sitting has been referred to the “new smoking'“ and is associated with the increased risk of a number of chronic health conditions such as type II diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and overall poor long term health outcomes.
How can I increase my NEAT?
Take note of how much you are sitting during the day. Maybe try looking into a sit to stand desk or try to become more conscious of periodically getting up and breaking up sedentary time throughout the day.
Rather than grabbing that park right outside the supermarket, try parking a little further away to try get more steps into your day.
We’re all guilty of this, but rather than trying to drag all the shopping bags in at once why not try bringing in groceries one bag at a time. Again it will mean a few more steps in your day and not take up too much extra time.
Where possible taking the stairs over the lift/escalator.
Getting off the couch between the ad breaks on television at night.
Try arranging a walking meeting at work.
Having trouble increasing your NEAT? Or getting back into structured exercise after a winter hiatus? You can read our blog on returning safely to exercise after time off. Alternatively click here or phone us on 5333 2232 to book an appointment with our Exercise Physiologist Abby to get you back on track.
