One Of The Most Underrated Fat Loss Tools

 

Do you work out on the regular, yet find yourself sitting much of your day?

Ever heard of NEAT?

NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis and makes up around 15% of your metabolism and may be one of the most underrated tools we have for fat loss.

Tracking your daily steps is one of the best indicators of NEAT, especially when those steps are spread throughout the day.

Please note that getting all of your steps in one long run and then sitting the rest of the day defeats the purpose. We want to be standing and walking throughout our day.

Some will argue that going for a long walk just to get your steps is exercise and technically shouldn’t be called NEAT.  So, for our purposes, we’ll call low-intensity walking throughout the day “NEAT”.

There’s not really a “gold standard” for a daily step target, but we can generally assume that the more steps you’re getting every day, the better, especially when it comes to your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure: the amount of calories your body uses that day).

Personally, I aim for a minimum of 10-13k steps per day which includes walking for 1 minute between lifting sets during my workouts, a daily 30-45 minute walk for stress management and on weekends a 75-90 minute walk or hike.

But if you’re averaging 4,000 steps per day right now, it might not be realistic to aim for such a high number. Consider aiming for 40% - 50% higher, 6000-7000 steps.  Once you know your daily average step count, aim to increase your average by 500-1,000 per week until you reach your target.

TIPS for increasing your steps:

Track with your sports watch or phone. Go for a 15-minute walk around the block after your meals – this may have an added health bonus of improving your blood sugar levels, which can reduce your risk of developing insulin resistance, diabetes, or cardiovascular issues. Walk or pace while talking on the phone. Park further away when you’re running errands. Have walking meetings with colleagues. Sit a lot at work? Set a timer on your watch or phone, and get up every hour to walk. Use a walking pad during long phone calls or virtual meetings. March in place or pace while waiting for water to boil, food to heat, or if watching TV, march during commercials. Pair a long outdoor walk with something you enjoy – a podcast, audiobook, or music you love. Instead of meeting friends for coffee, ask them to join you for a walk.  Better yet, combine the two!