What is NEAT and four ways to increase it

NEAT, otherwise known as non exercise activity thermogenesis is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports/gym like exercise. It ranges from the energy expended walking to work, typing, walking around the house and cleaning the house.
 
While regular gym sessions are great at burning calories and keeping us fit, what we do in the other twenty three hours of the day are the key to achieving our goals.
 
Here's four ways that you can move more throughout your day that will make you leaner, fitter and healthier. 
 
1. Stand when you can 
Standing can make a difference. There's a growing body of evidence shows that sitting for too long can be detrimental to your health. Standing up is one form of NEAT that can help increase your daily caloric expenditure. 
 
2. Do the household chores 
Cleaning the house takes time and effort. Taking care of the things around your house that require physical effort is a great way to use energy and increase your NEAT. 
 
3. Do your errands
Go for a morning walk and pick up a coffee on the way. Go to the supermarket for some shopping. Stroll through the aisles and carry your groceries in from the car. This will not only improve your NEAT, but it will give you satisfaction in knowing that you spent your day well. Simple errands keep you moving and can also bring simple pleasures. 
 
4. Break up your day with some walks
Break up your day with short walks. Maybe go for a 10 to 15 minute walk around the block during your coffee break or lunch break to get your legs moving. Once you get into the habit of it, you’ll start to enjoy the extra movement. Sitting for hours every day is not only unnatural, it's unhealthy too. So get up, get out and get moving.