Most people complain about having a slow metabolism, or that they are dieting and exercising and still aren’t losing that stubborn weight. In this post we will explore how non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) could help you to shift the pounds you have been struggling to lose.
What is non exercise activity thermogenesis?
NEAT refers to the calories which you burn outside of exercise. We don’t often think of our bodies as calorie burning machines, but that’s essentially what they are. We consider when we “diet” that we should consume less calories than we burn. We reduce our calorie intake and up our exercise and hey presto, the lbs start falling off, right?
Actually the number of calories we burn outside of exercise is a large proportion of our overall consumption, so we should look there for some definite benefits. Your basal metabolic rate is the number of calories you need for your body to function when at rest. It accounts for around 75% of your calorie consumption.
The remaining 25% are the calories you burn by converting your food into energy and the energy you use during and after exercise. Consistent use of NEAT throughout the day can ensure your body continues to burn the calories you didn’t expend during your workout.
What constitutes NEAT activities?
Think about anything that gets you out of breath outside of the gym:
- Walking
- Cycling to work
- Mowing the lawn
- Vacuuming the house
- A brisk shopping trip
- Helping your friend move house
- Playing with your kids in the garden
- Yes even sex you mucky minded lot! (Although who needs another excuse?)
What if I already do all of these things?
We all know that there is no magic wand. You can’t just have sex on a constant basis and expect to lose weight, as great as it sounds. We know that there are many factors affecting your weight loss including the right strength and conditioning program, the right nutritional balance in your diet and even your mental well-being or getting sufficient rest can all affect your ability to train or to lose weight.
We are also very aware that losing weight isn’t everyone’s primary objective. If you simply want to be fitter or healthier the same rules apply. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to heart disease, mental health problems and is linked to a whole host of cancers and metabolic diseases.
If you ever catch yourself wondering if your metabolism is slow, when you spend most of your time chained to a desk, you could just be missing out on your NEAT activities.
If you need help with weight loss or a training program contact us today and we’ll be happy to give you a free consultation to discuss your needs.
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