Have you ever spent the day cleaning the house, just to have it destroyed that day or a day later? Have you thought to yourself, what a waste of time that was? Although it may be frustrating, just know that it wasn’t a waste because that entire time you were moving your body and burning calories, you were engaging in NEAT!

When people think of weight loss, they typically think of healthy eating and exercise. If they are even more informed, they know that getting enough sleep and managing stress are equally important. However, most people overlook the concept of non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, and its effect on their health and weight loss.

NEAT refers to the activities that you do throughout the day that isn’t formal exercise or sleeping. So that means moving during the day and not being sedentary. Yes, you can still sit and watch tv for a little while, but that shouldn’t be what you do all day or even a majority of your day. The amount of everyday activity that you get beyond your 30 minutes or 1 hour of structured exercise plays a vital role in your overall health and can assist with your weight loss goals. 1 hour in the gym only accounts for a small percentage of your day’s energy expenditure, but what you do the other hours of the day has a major impact on your overall energy expenditure! Which means, you need to get up and get moving. The best part is that these activities are everyday actions and they don’t cost anything to perform them. You probably already do most of them now in some capacity.

Here are some NEAT ways to get your body moving more during your day.

Skip the elevator and take the stairs.

Yardwork or gardening.

Cleaning the house (this is NEAT at its finest). You can amplify the calorie burn by turning on the music and dancing while you tidy up the space!

Carry those grocery bags (a little strength training if you load up a few of those bags in your arms)

Playing with your kids (going to the park and running around with them)

When you are running errands, get those steps in. Try increasing the pace of your walk.

How neat is NEAT?! Tell me, how you are getting your NEAT in today?