Forms of Daily Movement and Energy Dynamics

Published: February 2026

Physical activity encompasses diverse forms, each with distinct physiological effects on energy expenditure, metabolic adaptation, and body composition. Understanding these differences provides perspective on how movement contributes to overall energy balance.

Resistance Training

Resistance exercise—using weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight against resistance—creates mechanical tension on muscle fibres, triggering adaptations including muscle protein synthesis and strength development. Physiological effects extend beyond immediate energy expenditure:

Acute metabolic cost: Resistance training expends energy during the exercise session itself, the intensity and duration determining total expenditure.

Muscle tissue maintenance: Resistance training signals the body to maintain and build muscle tissue, which requires amino acids and energy. Individuals who engage in resistance training require adequate protein to support these adaptations.

Post-exercise metabolism: Resistance training creates "afterburn" (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), though this effect is often smaller than commonly claimed.

Metabolic rate support: Muscle tissue is metabolically active, requiring energy at rest. Greater muscle mass contributes to higher resting metabolic rate, though this effect is modest.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic activity—sustained moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise utilising oxygen—expends substantial energy and triggers cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations:

Acute energy expenditure: The duration and intensity of aerobic exercise directly determines immediate caloric expenditure. Higher intensity and longer duration create greater acute costs.

Cardiovascular adaptation: Regular aerobic training improves heart function and oxygen utilisation, enhancing work capacity and efficiency.

Metabolic flexibility: Aerobic training enhances the body's ability to utilise different fuel sources (glucose and fat), improving metabolic flexibility.

Recovery capacity: Aerobic training supports recovery processes and endothelial function, contributing to overall cardiovascular health.

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

Daily movement including occupational activities, household tasks, postural maintenance, and fidgeting—collectively termed NEAT—often accounts for a significant portion of total daily energy expenditure:

Occupational activity: Physical demands of different occupations create substantial variation in daily energy expenditure. Desk-based work creates lower NEAT than physically demanding occupations.

Household tasks: Cleaning, cooking, yard work, and other household activities contribute to daily movement and energy expenditure.

Postural maintenance: Standing versus sitting requires different energy expenditure. Varied posture throughout the day increases energy expenditure compared to remaining sedentary.

Fidgeting and spontaneous movement: Individual variation in spontaneous movement significantly influences NEAT and total daily expenditure.

Research suggests NEAT varies among individuals by hundreds of calories daily, creating substantial individual differences in total energy expenditure independent of formal exercise.

Flexibility and Balance Activities

While not high-intensity activities, flexibility and balance work serve important physiological functions:

Functional capacity: Flexibility and balance maintain range of motion and proprioception, supporting injury prevention and functional movement quality.

Injury prevention: Adequate flexibility and balance reduce injury risk during daily activities and exercise.

Nervous system function: Balance activities stimulate proprioceptive systems and support nervous system coordination.

While these activities do not create high energy expenditure, they support functional capacity and movement quality essential for sustained physical activity.

Metabolic Adaptation to Physical Activity

The body adapts to regular physical activity through multiple mechanisms:

Increased efficiency: With training, the body becomes more efficient at performing familiar activities, reducing energy expenditure for the same work.

Metabolic adaptation: During sustained energy deficit combined with training, metabolic rate may decrease as the body conserves energy.

Muscle remodelling: Chronic training triggers specific muscle fibre adaptations—endurance training favours oxidative capacity while resistance training favours contractile protein.

These adaptations represent evolutionary biological responses to training stimuli, but they mean that energy expenditure benefits from physical activity may be somewhat smaller than initial calculations suggest, and they may decrease over time as adaptations occur.

Individual Variation in Activity Response

Individual responses to physical activity vary substantially:

• Genetics influence muscle fibre type distribution, strength capacity, and endurance capability
• Age affects recovery capacity, maximal aerobic capacity, and training response
• Training history influences how quickly adaptations occur
• Concurrent nutrition and recovery practices modulate training adaptations
• Hormonal status affects muscle building capacity and metabolic response

Key Takeaways

• Resistance training supports muscle maintenance and provides metabolic benefits beyond immediate energy expenditure
• Aerobic activity expends substantial energy and triggers cardiovascular adaptations
• Daily movement (NEAT) often accounts for substantial energy expenditure and varies greatly among individuals
• Metabolic adaptation occurs with training, affecting energy expenditure and response over time
• Individual responses to physical activity vary based on genetics, age, and training history

← Back to Blog