Return to Longevity Based Movements

non-exercise activity

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT refers to a form of energy expenditure generated by daily physical activities that are not defined as purposeful physical training. These activities include all energy expended during our occupations, leisure time activities, and daily home and body maintenance.

This movement has been categorized by researchers into three main subcomponents:

  1. Body posture variations

  2. Ambulation or locomotion

  3. Fidgeting

non-exercise activity and longevity

  • A 2016 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine analyzed data from 54 countries and concluded that sitting for more than 3 hours per day, regardless of whether one performed vigorous exercise or not, was associated with a 3.8 percent increase in all-cause mortality.

  • A large prospective study done through the American Cancer Society looked at time spent sitting concerning all-cause mortality in a sample of 53,440 men and 69,776 women. After adjusting for smoking and body mass index, the authors concluded that time spent sitting was independently associated with total mortality, regardless of physical activity level.

  • A literature review conducted by Villablanca et al. concluded that activities involved in increasing NEAT could result in an extra 2000 calories of expenditure per day, and reported that implementing NEAT during leisure time and occupational activities could be essential in reducing obesity and cardiovascular disease.

  • A study conducted by Levine et al. compared the amount of NEA between 10 normal weight and 10 obese individuals, and demonstrated that the obese subjects were seated, on average, 2 hours longer per day than lean individuals.131 The authors also proposed that if the obese individuals adopted the NEAT-enhanced behaviors of their lean counterparts, they could potentially expend an additional 350 calories per day.

Takeaway: Health problems associated with decreased physical activity are not simply based on us not exercising enough, but instead may be linked to simply being still too long. Therefore, to promote a longer life, we need to find ways to get more movement throughout the day, regardless of how hard we work at the gym.

References:

  1. Levine, J., Melanson, E. L., Westerterp, K. R., & Hill, J. O. (2001). Measurement of the components of nonexercise activity thermogenesis. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 281(4), E670-E675. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.2001.281.4.e670

  2. Rezende, L. F., Sá, T. H., Mielke, G. I., Viscondi, J.Y., Rey-López, J. P., & Garcia, L. M. (2016). All-Cause Mortality Attributable to Sitting Time. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 51(2), 253-263. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2016.01.022

  3. Patel, A.V., Bernstein, L., Deka, A., Feigelson, H. S., Campbell, P.T., Gapstur, S. M., Thun, M. J. (2010). Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Total Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of US Adults. American Journal of Epidemiology, 172(4), 419-429. doi:10.1093/aje/kwq155

  4. Patel, A.V., Maliniak, M. L., Rees-Punia, E., Matthews, C. E., & Gapstur, S. M. (2018). Prolonged Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Cause-Specific Mortality in a Large US Cohort. American Journal of Epidemiology, 187(10), 2151-2158. doi:10.1093/aje/ kwy125

  5. Levine, J. A., Lanningham-Foster, L. M., McCrady, S. K., Krizan, A. C., Olson, L. R., Kane, P. H., . . . Clark, M. M. (2005). Interindividual Variation in Posture Allocation: Possible Role in Human Obesity. Science, 307(5709), 584-586. doi:10.1126/ science.1106561

body posture variations

ambulation/locomotion

gait speed and longevity

  • A 2011 pooled analysis of nine cohort studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that walking speed was associated with increased survival in all studies pooled. The authors also concluded that predicting survival based on age, sex, and gait speed was as accurate as predicting it based on age, sex, use of mobility aids (walkers, canes, etc.), and self-reported function or as age, sex, chronic conditions, smoking history, blood pressure, body mass index, and hospitalization.

  • A 2009 prospective cohort study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, examined the effect of three different physical performance measures in predicting adverse health events in elders. The three measures utilized were timed walking, repeated chair standing, and narrow-base of support balance testing. Of these measures, gait speed was found to be the most important predictor of adverse health events, although all three were significantly valuable.

  • A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology examined whether a test of walking speed alone provides similar predictive information on mortality risk as that of a full, comprehensive summary of lower body function. The results showed a more than two-fold increased risk of mortality for individuals categorized with slower walking speed, allowing the authors to conclude that “walking speed alone can provide similar information on mortality risk as does a more comprehensive summary measure of physical performance.”

    References:

    • Studenski, S., MD, MPH, Perera, S., Ph.D., & Patel, K., Ph.D.; et al. (2011). Gait Speed and Survival in Older Adults. Jama, 305(1), 50. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1923

    • Cesari, M., Kritchevsky, S. B., Newman, A. B., Simonsick, E. M., Harris, T. B., Penninx, B.W., . . . Pahor, M. (2009). Added Value of Physical Performance Measures in Predicting Adverse Health-Related Events: Results from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 57(2), 251-259. doi:10.1111/j.1532- 5415.2008.02126.x

    • Ostir, G.V., Kuo, Y., Berges, I. M., Markides, K. S., & Ottenbacher, K. J. (2007). Measures of Lower Body Function and Risk of Mortality over 7 Years of Follow-up. American Journal of Epidemiology, 166(5), 599-605. doi:10.1093/aje/kwm121

fidgeting

NEURAL GLIDING AND TENSIONING

Increasing NEA in Our Daily Lives

“Seek inconvenience. It promotes more movement.”

  • Identify and Minimize Non-Movement

    • Try eliminating the following for a period of time:

      • Watching television for 5 days

      • Driving distances of less than one mile for 30 days

      • Sitting on a couch or chair while watching TV for 60 days

  • Increase Options for Movement

    • Practice the linked movements above.

    • Choose your favorites

    • Perform short bouts frequently throughout the day

  • Don’t Overdo It!

    • Add only one new movement behavior to your daily routine per week.

    • Limit any new movement practiced to 5 repetitions at a time or 5-second holds.

    • Perform multiple small bouts of movement several times per day (as opposed to one large bout daily).

    • Limit efforts to those in which you can breathe nasally or conversationally.