54 - The Hidden Health Power of NEAT: Why Everyday Movement Matters More Than You Think
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Why is a quiet rebellion against sitting important for health?
Have you ever noticed that some of the most meaningful things we can do for our health are also some of the least glamorous? Today we're talking about the power of ambulate, which is a perfectly useful word and also sounds a little like it wandered out of a Victorian dictionary wearing sensible shoes. We experience 1,000 waking minutes on average every day. How are you spending yours? I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and you're listening to 1,000 Waking Minutes. I can't wait to connect with you here with practical ways to eat well, move daily, and be healthy to optimize every waking minute you live for a happier, healthier life. Thank you for sharing some of your waking minutes with me today. Let's get started.
I'm saying yes to better days. Yes, I'm on my way. Yes, it's gonna.
Hello and welcome to 1000 Waking Minutes. I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and I'm really glad you're here today. I'm grateful we get to spend some of my and your 1000 Waking Minutes together because that's where the real life of health happens. It's in the ordinary hours, not just in the gym or in the active things that we're doing for our health. It's right here, right now. And this has purpose because maybe this episode is really sort of a quiet rebellion of sorts. And it's a new take on something you've probably taken for granted and maybe not given its due. I'm not talking about anything dramatic, anything with, you know, card carrying. I'm not going to do that or I'm going to do that forevermore. no parades and speeches about how grand this health habit is, but it's something internal.
It's something private, sort of. It's where you stand up, where you take the stairs, where you pace while you walk. It's when you carry your own bag or many bags. I've been known to call myself the bag lady because I can tote many in balance at times. When you refill your water bottle or walk the dog a little further and you realize that movement is not just something that you schedule. It's something that you live all the time. and it matters. It's part of living, and we're going to talk about how important those kinds of movements are today. That's where a rather clunky word, and I've thought a lot about this word recently in preparing for this, and over the years, really, but it's an important word.
What is NEAT (Non‑Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and how does it work?
It's called ambulate. or ambulation. And this is where ambulate enters the scene. It's sort of like the sensible shoes that you have in your closet. It's the ones that you want to put on, and you sort of question. You're like, I want to put those on. They're comfortable. They're not maybe the most stylish or the ones, but they're the sensible shoes. And maybe that's exactly what it is. It sounds also a little formal, a little buttoned up, the word ambulate. It's a little fussy maybe. But underneath, it's really beautifully unfussy. It's about moving more in your day. And I'm not adding to your movement. I'm just making count the things that you're already doing. And you might just do more because you realize how much they count.
These are the things that you do on purpose in ways that count. And that's really neat. And I say the word neat not to be sort of old fashioned last century, but neat actually stands for something. And it stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. Neat. N-E-A-T. I didn't make it up. Promise. It's officially defined as any unplanned or unstructured low-level physical activity. So it includes all the movement you do that is not sleep, that is not eating, and it's not planned exercise. Now, I have spent enough time around real people in real life to know that not everyone can always get in the workout. But everyone is living inside a body that responds to motion. And that body notices the difference between being parked all day on a seat and being gently, repeatedly brought back to life in motion.
So let's put this all in perspective and think about real life. Your life, my life. You know the feeling that you get after a good day of yard work or gardening. You might like it or you might do it because it's the season and you've got to do it.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why is a quiet rebellion against sitting important for health?
0:01–3:01
2
What is NEAT (Non‑Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and how does it work?
3:01–6:04
3
How did a busy mom change her mindset about movement and feel better?
6:04–9:47
4
What did the hotel housekeeper study reveal about mindset and health outcomes?
9:47–13:04
5
Why can fidgeting and short movement breaks boost mood and metabolism?
13:04–15:55
6
How can a one‑minute mindful pause improve daily movement awareness?
15:55–19:08
7
What practical, no‑extra‑workout strategies increase NEAT throughout the day?
19:08–23:32
8
How is everyday movement a life skill that supports long‑term wellbeing?
23:32–50:44
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from 1,000 Waking Minutes
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