The Easiest Way to Increase Your Metabolism, Without Exercising

Our bodies are truly unique—down to the amount of calories we burn! Every day, we use a certain amount of calories, which is called our T.D.E.E. (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). It depends on our metabolism, the food we eat, how much we exercise, and our daily movement.

Today, we're focusing on the difference between exercise and movement, and how non-exercise movement (also known as N.E.A.T) is one of the simple, most beneficial ways to maintain or improve your health.

How our bodies use energy

First, I'll start by explaining how our bodies burn the energy we eat or store in our bodies. This will help you understand how non-exercise movement fits into the picture.

3 Factors to how much our bodies use energy:

1. Resting metabolism (R.M.R.) (60 - 75%) - The burning of energy for base function, like breathing and blood circulation. Depends on metabolism, influenced by thyroid, [adrenals/cortisol], and lean body muscles

2. Thermogenic effect of foods (T.E.F.) (10%) - The extra energy needed for digesting a meal. Depends on type of foods (ex: nuts require more energy to break down than nut butter)

3. Thermogenic effect of activity (T.E.A.) (15-30%) - The energy needed to exercise. N.E.A.T. (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis) makes up a big component of TEA

What is Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis?

The term "non-exercise activity thermogenic" (N.E.A.T.) refers to any physical activity that increases energy expenditure above resting levels. It includes things like walking, standing, and running errands. In fact, N.E.A.T. may be more effective than traditional forms of exercise at burning calories and is the most and easiest way to increase your daily energy burn, and improve your mental and physical health.

Why we should care about N.E.A.T.

Non-exercise movement includes everything that we do that is not sleeping, eating, or sports-like exercise.

Research indicates that people who move throughout the day (N.E.A.T.) are more likely to reach their weight-loss goals versus those who who smash out one vigorous exercise but are sedentary throughout the day. Therefore, this supports the idea that greater energy output occurs throughout the day rather than during just one vigorous exercise session.

Researcher James Levine, M.D., who has investigated published articles on the effects of N.E.A.T., found that adopting N.E.A.T. behaviors can increase daily caloric expenditure by as much as 350 calories per day. That's over 2,000 calories a week!

Non-exercise activities examples

With today's sedentary lifestyle, moving throughout the day may seem harder to do but it just takes practice to remind ourselves it's time to move! you may be surprised that you are already doing some of these:

• Walking (to work, walk break, walking your dog)

• Gardening and yard work

• Involuntary movement, like fidgeting

• Standing

• Stretching

• Grocery shopping

• Playing with your kids

• Cleaning the house

• Cooking

It's safe to say that any kind of movement, those that you don't consider as a formal "exercise", are worth peppering throughout your day.

Movement doesn't just burn extra energy, but it helps to stabilize our blood sugar and hormones for better health. It gives us healthy joints, strong bones, physical strength, good circulation, improved learning and concentration, and an overall better mental well-being.

One action step today:

Set a timer every 1-2 hours and find a way to move!

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