Let’s talk about non-exercise movement outside of the gym. I’ll start by saying, hey, great work getting into the gym and starting a strength-training habit for yourself! That’s huge and it’s going to have a fantastic impact on your health and how you function for years to come.
(If you’re reading this and thinking, hmmm, I have not started a strength-training habit but I’d really like to…then may I kindly offer clicking on this link to take a step towards starting that habit).
As much as I could go on…and on…about how fantastic strength training is for your overall health, it is but one part of the overall picture. This post is about the importance and value of doing things other than going to the gym. Or perhaps I should say, this post is about how doing low- to moderate-intensity movement-y things in addition to your gym workouts can have a significant impact on your overall health.
How, you may ask, does non-exercise physical activity impact my health?
Low- to moderate-intensity movement, done throughout your day and, ideally, on multiple days throughout your week, can:
- Have a positive impact on your metabolism;
- Keep your joints happy and health;
- Improve overall circulation;
- Improve sleep quality;
- Improve your mood.
We should take a moment to get a wee-bit nerdy about metabolism.
First, a definition of terms (because we live in a culture that uses terms like metabolism to mean something tied only to weight loss and that’s not what we’re talking about here).
Metabolism is an umbrella term that refers to the sum total of the various chemical processes within the cells of your body that keep your body functioning.
Metabolism encompasses all of the ‘breaking down’ processes that take macronutrients from food and break them down into simpler forms that your body will use for energy and metabolism encompasses all of the ‘building up’ processes that use energy to grow bones and muscles and repair injuries and make hormones so that your body can continue running smoothly.
With that in mind, we could think of metabolism as a proxy for your body’s overall functioning. This includes both how and how much energy your body uses and is often measured as your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). As we age, absent an intervention, our metabolism will slow down. In practical terms, this means your body uses and processes less energy. As a person’s metabolism slows, it’s worth noting that there is a corresponding increased risk of disease and metabolic syndrome.
I have great news! You can totally have a positive impact on your metabolism simply by moving around!
There are four factors that contribute to your total daily energy expenditure:
- Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
- This is a measure of the energy required to do all of your body’s most basic functions and nothing else. Imagine the energy required to simply lie in bed and breathe all day (in a perfectly temperature-controlled environment). That’s your BMR and it typically accounts for 70% of your TDEE.
- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
- This is the energy required to eat, digest, metabolize and store nutrients from food. TEF accounts for 8% – 15% of your TDEE.
- Exercise-Activity Thermogenesis (EAT)
- By now, you’re likely piecing it together: this is the energy used by exercise. How much of a person’s TDEE this accounts for depends very much on the person: for highly active people, like athletes, we can be talking as much as 30%; whereas for most people, it’s more like 3% – 5%.
- Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
- NEAT is the star of our show today: this is energy used for any movement that isn’t structured exercise. We’ll talk more about examples of NEAT in a moment, but first, it’s really worth noting that NEAT can make up between 6% – 10% of TDEE for sedentary people and much more in people with active jobs or lifestyles.
Before we get to examples, let’s take a moment to make the point clear-er:
The reason for this particular discussion is that there is a growing body of research that is pointing to a connection between metabolic health and some of our society’s most significant diseases (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, dementia). The emerging message seems clear: “Cellular functions such as hormone regulation, movement, cognition, and immune defense hinge on optimal metabolic balance” …and improving your metabolic health can be much more straightforward than it sounds. Given the potential of NEAT for increasing TDEE…and thus, improving your metabolism, we have some (relatively) low-hanging fruit available to us.
Ways To Get More Non-Exercise Activity/Movement in Your Day
There are so many options available to you…and because you really can’t lose with whatever you choose, I’d like to recommend picking one that seems enjoyable to you:
- A leisurely walk
- …around the block or around the inside of your home;
- A bike ride
- …around the neighborhood or mountain biking on a trail somewhere;
- Water sports!
- …swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, water aerobics classes;
- Dancing!
- …in tha club, at home, in the supermarket, at a workshop with Holly;
- Yoga or stretching or foam rolling
- …yes, taking a stretch-on-the-floor break at home counts as NEAT!
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated. You could also occasionally choose to park a bit further away from the entrance to the store or take the stairs instead of the escalator. It all counts.
And, if you’d like a thought-partner to help figure this out for you, reach out and we’d be happy to chat!
