Does Low-Effort Movements Provide Physical Benefits?

Introducing: NEAT

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis 

Hey Everyone!

According to new research, low-effort activities like tapping our foot to music or shopping for groceries actually burns calories! This is a concept known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT. 

Basically, every physical activity outside of eating, sleeping, or sports-like exercise counts as NEAT. 

The Basics of Calorie Burning:

• Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is how much energy you expend in a comfortable temperature after fasting 12 hours. In non-athletes, it accounts for 60-70% of energy expenditure. It’s how much your body needs to circulate blood, breathe, and maintain other vital functions.

• Diet-induced thermogenesis is the energy needed to digest, absorb, and store food in the body. It makes up 10-12% of the energy expended in a non-athlete.

• Physical activity is everything your body does to move, maintain posture, and contract muscles. It accounts for 6-10% of energy expenditure and can be further broken down into deliberate exercise and NEAT.
  

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I know it doesn't sound plausible that such small amounts of movement can have any impact whatsoever on our well-being, but consider regions of the world where longevity is high. These groups of people, many of them centenarians, do a lot of NEAT activity, and they spend almost no time exercising inside a gym or participating in strenuous sports!

According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult spends 9-10 hours a day seated. 

And, scientists have found higher levels of triglycerides, blood sugar, and C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation) in the blood of people who are overly sedentary. 

Kelsey Graham, a professor in the Exercise Science Department of San Diego Mesa College explains that “Metabolic syndrome, poor blood sugar management, and type 2 diabetes are all related to large amounts of seated time, independent of how much someone exercises.” 

Is it surprising then, that there's a strong link between the overall time spent sitting down and the risk of dying early?

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NEAT Burns Calories

Dr. James Levine, an endocrinologist who pioneered research on NEAT while at the Mayo Clinic and now heads the nonprofit Foundation Ipsen, has been studying how NEAT movement affects our energy use, or how many calories we burn. 

Levine notes that sitting at a computer uses 5- 7% more calories than lying down, but if he gets up to fold and iron clothes, that number goes up to 15%. “It all changes the moment I start to walk,” he says. Casually walking at the speed you might take while shopping can double your metabolic rate. 

Even chewing gum will burn about 20 calories an hour. 

While there are no guidelines yet on how much NEAT exercise is optimal, experts suggest standing or walking every 30 minutes for five minutes or more will bring positive benefits. 

Other Examples of NEAT Include:

• Taking the stairs instead of elevator
• Parking farther away than you need to 
• Walking or bicycling to your destination
• Doing household chores continuously to music
• Doing yard work
• Standing up more than sitting
• Taking walking breaks
• Dancing to a video or to music 
• Standing up and sitting down (sit to stands) 10 times

"Doing light, fun movements are just as important for health as regimented exercises" - Professor Graham

What Did We learn?

Weight and aerobic training are important, yes... 

But NEAT movements are also a form of physical activity. And any bout of physical movement is better than none. So, don't be discouraged if you have some physical movement limitations. You can still reap positive benefits from NEAT.

Dancing in the kitchen with your cup of java is just fine as your comfy cardio.

EM

References:

The NEAT Way to Improve Your Health. Benefits of Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) (aarp.org)

Levine JA. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002 Dec;16(4):679-702. doi: 10.1053/beem.2002.0227. PMID: 12468415.