Now that’s NEAT
Jennifer Thomas, Special to the Gazette
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Oftentimes in health education we have to teach about certain topics that many people do not immediately recognize as interesting or relevant, let alone entertaining. Over the last few years, I have encountered this issue with my students when I go to teach them about Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis or NEAT.
Now I somewhat understand my students’ lack of enthusiasm for two reasons:
• it’s a mouthful and
• many of my students (especially my health promotion majors) either usually have time or make time for regular workouts.
For those people who cannot or do not or will not work out, but who are still concerned about their health or appearance, however, NEAT tends to be a very intriguing concept.
NEAT is defined as the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise (think racquetball, basketball, jogging, Zumba, etc.) Put more simply: it is the calories we can and do burn off while moving around, but not necessarily working out.
The form of NEAT most prevalent in recent history is doing agricultural work. Although the number of calories burned in this line of work has actually decreased as technology has progressed, anyone who has ever lifted hay bales, chopped wood, fed animals, etc., can tell you that they expend significant amounts of energy throughout the course of a typical day — and there are no dumbbells or treadmills involved.
I have heard many farmers and ranchers dismiss the need for working out in a gym because of the rigors required by their daily duties, and there is much truth to that. Many of us realized about 10-15 years ago, at the onset of the obesity epidemic that the reason for its occurrence was that we were simply not burning calories the way we once did.
Some formerly common examples of NEAT that are not so common anymore:
• Laundry: Our ancestors used to rub dirty clothes on a rock or board, then wring it out and finally hang it up to dry. We now toss it in a machine twice and it’s done.
• Cooking and baking: Steps that used to be done by hand (mixing, chopping, opening cans, etc.) are now typically done by automated appliances.
• Doing dishes: We used to scrub, rinse and dry. Many of us now have an appliance that does all three for us. This saves us time, but also causes us to avoid burning calories.
• Playing: As kids, many of us spent hours outside playing kick-the-can or hide-and-seek, riding our bikes, fishing, shooting hoops, etc. Nowadays, due to technology (namely video games and the Internet), as well as societal dangers, kids’ thumbs tend to get more of a workout than the rest of their bodies.
Some forms of NEAT, with a little self-discipline, can still be implemented into our daily lives without major inconvenience. These include:
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator
• Washing/waxing/buffing your vehicle by hand
• Walking the golf course instead of using a cart
• Walking around while talking on the phone instead of sitting or standing still
• Carrying groceries in a basket instead of pushing them in a cart (if the weight of items is safe)
• Push-mowing the yard instead of riding or paying someone else to do it
• Manually raking leaves instead of use a leaf-blower or leaf-vacuum
If these are not appealing or realistic, the absolute simplest ways of achieving NEAT include:
• Fidgeting. Instead of aimlessly standing in line at the grocery store, do calf raises (roll onto your tiptoes, then back onto your heels; repeat) or shoulder shrugs (exactly what they sound like) or fist-clenching (spread your fingers, then roll down into a fist.) It is proven that “fidgeters” can burn up to 800 more calories in a typical day compared to those who simply sit or stand still (i.e. staring at a computer screen or television monitor).
• Playing with your kids. Gentle wrestling, pillow-fights, piggy-back rides, hopscotch or even doing “airplane” with babies or toddlers will all burn calories while simultaneously providing quality bonding time.
• Laughing. One of my favorites: simply listen to friends tell jokes or funny stories or just pop in a funny movie. (Note: I swear I burned 1,000 calories the first time I ever watched “Liar, Liar”…)
• Shivering. Luckily the colder weather seasons are approaching. As a no-effort method of calorie-burning simply step outside and see how much frigidity you can endure (be smart — no frostbite) or just set your home thermostat lower and make the thermogenesis even more subtle.
• Hanky-panky or making out. If done with effort and feeling (wink, wink), this is the oldest form of NEAT known to mankind. Much like actual exercise, the more endurance one has, the better. Enough said.
• Massage. For those of you who just rolled your eyes at the previous suggestion, giving your loved one a nice back rub for 30 minutes can burn just more than 100 calories.
All of these different activities can add up to significant amounts of calories burned. Although there are obviously considerable health benefits to traditional “exercise” that gets you into your target heart rate zone, it is encouraging to know that NEAT activities can also help strengthen your muscles, bones and organs. Many can also improve your mental, emotional, spiritual and intellectual health — areas often overlooked or neglected.
Because many of us have overly crowded schedules, it is important to remember that yard work (raking, trimming, planting, gardening, etc.) and cleaning (scrubbing floors, dusting, vacuuming, etc.) are two of the most effective AND productive AND fulfilling types of NEAT.
Many people who step off a treadmill or elliptical machine only to realize that they just walked or peddled three miles and 30 minutes to nowhere, find more practicality and purpose in burning calories where something noticeable is achieved, and I must say I don’t blame them. So, the next time you feel pressed for time and feel you have to choose between something on your to-do list or exercising, ask yourself whether there is something on your list that involves getting physical — you may be able to kill two birds with one stone.
One last note
In order to achieve some NEAT of their own and also provide a helpful community service for those cannot do it themselves, the Emporia State University health promotion majors, during the week of Oct. 17-24 (Saturday through Saturday), will be raking and bagging leaves.
If you live inside the Emporia city limits and would like to request this service (whether completely done by us or just our assistance), please call 341-6160 or e-mail me at jthomas@emporia.edu to schedule a time and day.
We will be available 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 4 to 7 p.m. during the week. The service will be free, but donations will be accepted, as we are raising funds to attend a wellness conference this spring.