How Can I Lose Weight By Increasing NEAT?

One of the reasons that NEAT can be more important than sports or other exercise for expending energy, is that it can be repeated so often throughout the day. It is the repetition that adds up to a big difference in energy expenditure. 

The list of ways to use NEAT is limitless – from walking around while on the telephone, taking a lunch-time walk, folding laundry or sweeping the yard while talking to your children/neighbours or walking on the spot while watching TV.

Don’t be a victim of your occupation

More than ever people have sedentary jobs now compared with previous generations. Typically this involves sitting at desk all day, which severely reduces NEAT.  But even in this situation it’s easy to increase energy expenditure.

Dr James Levine of the Mayo Clinic of Rochester, Minnesota has studied energy expenditure in humans for 20 years and is a great advocate of maximizing NEAT. 

Not everyone has the freedom to do those things, but most of us could walk around while using a mobile phone, could get up earlier and go for a quick walk before breakfast, or take a stroll at lunchtime. Even things like visiting a colleague’s office, instead or ringing or sending an e-mail, and taking the stairs instead of the lift will all painlessly increase NEAT. If you take a bus to work, get off a stop earlier and walk and try to walk instead of drive. 

Speed it up

The more you go for it, the more energy you’ll use.  Walking idly round a store may double energy consumption because starting and stopping walking require the most energy compared with the energy-efficient process of walking itself. But increase that to a brisker pace of 2-3mph and you’ll be using double or three times the energy consumed at rest.

What is the link between NEAT and obesity?

One of the explanations for the current increase in obesity could be a reduction in NEAT due to a number of reasons. More of us now have sedentary occupations such as sitting at a desk all day, instead of working out in the fields for example.

Also, we have labor (energy)-saving devices at home. 

Instead of using a vacuum cleaner, housewives would have had to sweep carpets with a brush and beat the rugs vigorously.  Even our environments can influence NEAT – if shops and schools are remote to the communities they serve, people have to access them by car, instead of walking.