I always get asked “what exercises should I do to lose fat?” or “How much cardio should I do?”. The truth is, none of that matters if you don't make the effort to get your steps each day because steps use up a large amount of the energy that we take in.
There are many ways in which we burn energy but for this article, I’m only going to focus on 1: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis or NEAT.
NEAT is the total amount of energy that we use for all the non-exercise related movement that we do such as walking, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, DIY projects, gardening, etc.
NEAT burns 15-30% of the total energy we consume so if you’re consuming 2000 calories per day, you’re burning up to 600 calories, just by walking more.
This doesn’t include energy burned through planned exercise which is a very small amount (5-10%) compared to NEAT so it makes sense to prioritise steps.
The problem is that if you’re struggling to lose weight, you’re more than likely panicking about smaller details like exercises, eliminating food groups, fasted cardio, or keeping your heart rate in a specific zone.
My advice is focus on the ‘big rocks’, the things that have the biggest bang for your buck, and steps are one of the biggest rocks.
Get for more walks, do house-work, mow the garden, stand during working hours, walk to and from work, take the stairs instead of the lift.
How many steps should I get?
Studies now suggest that 15,000 might be an ideal target for many but I personally recommend to start anywhere from 7,000 to 10,000 and increase it gradually if you can.
What if I have a desk job?
It's going to be more difficult for you but you need to accept that you will need to make more of an effort. You will need to go out for walks in the mornings/evenings, walk to and from work, stand more, or walk around the gym between your sets.
コメント