Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis Archives - Physio Room

172. Why NEAT is So Powerful for Health and Weight Loss

Andrew Fix — Tue, 13 May 2025 12:11:03 +0000

Most people think the gym is where the magic happens, but the real calorie-burner might be everything you’re doing outside of it.

Dr. Andrew Fix introduces the concept of NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and explains why these unstructured movements might be your biggest opportunity for burning calories and boosting energy. Think walking to the store, standing at your desk, or carrying your groceries instead of pushing a cart. These moments may seem minor, but they can add up to 30% or more of your daily energy expenditure.

How much are you really moving outside the gym? Are you relying too heavily on your workouts to do all the heavy lifting?

This episode makes a strong case for rethinking how we approach weight loss and daily activity. If your goal is to increase energy, feel better in your body, or make progress without overhauling your routine, this is a strategy worth paying attention to.

Quotes

“Most people that exercise regularly, this is only accounting for like 5% to 10%. Think about how much time in the day you spend exercising compared to what you spend doing other things.” (03:23 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Little things can add up and make a huge difference.” (04:41 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“This NEAT can really be a game changer when it comes to: Is somebody getting enough movement in? How many calories are you actually burning throughout the day?” (05:31 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“One of the most powerful and beneficial things you can do anyways for your health is, from a blood sugar standpoint, if you could structure it to go for a 5- or 10-minute walk after each of your meals.” (06:57 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Something as small as tapping your foot, fidgeting, getting down on the floor when you’re watching a television show or a game or a movie, and do some light mobility work or some light stretching, as opposed to sitting on the couch… it doesn’t have to be complicated, but it can be super powerful.” (08:24 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

Links

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/07/22/1189303227/neat-fitness-non-exercise-activity-thermogenesis

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60. Unlocking the Benefits of Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis: The Power of Small Movements

Andrew Fix — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 17:47:52 +0000

Key Takeaways

• NEAT refers to all of the activities that happen in our day and the energy expended in doing so

• Knowing your BMR, basal metabolic rate, is important for weight loss or weight gain

• Small movements can make a big impact on both physical and mental health

“This is a super simple way to cheat activity into your day. And by cheating activity into your day, you can increase the amount of calories that you burn, the amount of activity that you get, and more than likely, make your body feel better,” explains host Dr. Andrew Fix. Today, Andrew talks about NEAT, non-exercise activity thermogenesis, and how it impacts weight loss, physical fitness, and overall wellness.

NEAT is the energy expended to do all of your daily activities. It includes things like walking to your car, preparing food, going to the bathroom, and even tapping your feet at your desk. It is an easy way to cheat more activity into your day without having to set aside time specifically for exercise. Andrew shares that much of the reason why many people in America gained weight during the pandemic is because of a reduction in NEAT. Even though people tried to keep up with their usual exercise routine when they could, they were likely not doing as many of the incidental activities like walking to the office from the parking lot.

Small movements may not seem like much, but they really do make a large difference in your overall activity level. By adding more small movements to your day, you can get the benefits of being more active without having to add more formal exercise. Even just parking farther away from your destination and walking a bit will help to increase your activity level, burn more calories, and just make your body feel better overall.

Quotes

• “That’s a particularly important number to know, your total daily energy expenditure, for somebody who is interested in gaining weight or losing weight.” (3:49-3:57 | Andrew)

• “This is a super simple way to cheat activity into your day. And by cheating activity into your day, you can increase the amount of calories that you burn, the amount of activity that you get, and more than likely, make your body feel better.” (5:00-5:16 | Andrew)

• “It was a year or a year and a half into the Coronavirus pandemic that the average weight gain in America was 29 pounds. And I think a lot of that has to do with lack of activity.” (6:23-6:34 | Andrew)

• “Even if people were trying to maintain their exercise and doing exercise around their home, their apartment, their driveway, whatever that looks like, we weren’t getting the same activity throughout the rest of our day that we’re accustomed to.” (6:40-6:55 | Andrew)

Links

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/problem-with-calorie-counting-calories-out

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12468415/#:~:text=Non%2Dexercise%20activity%20thermogenesis%20(NEAT)%20is%20the%20energy%20expended,undertaking%20agricultural%20tasks%20and%20fidgeting