Glossary
NEAT
Updated February 28, 2026
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) is energy from daily movement outside planned workouts. NEAT accounts for 15–30% of total daily energy expenditure in sedentary populations and is the most variable component of daily burn.
Relation to formal exercise
| Component | Relative role | Interpretation |
|---|
| Steps and breaks | Supports daily variance | Often largest day-to-day NEAT lever |
| Task posture | Adds base output between sessions | Supports recovery when training stress is high |
| Formal exercise | Separate from NEAT blocks | Avoid merging all movement into one metric |
Calorie estimates
| Activity level | Estimated NEAT contribution | Notes |
|---|
| Sedentary desk worker | 200–400 kcal/day | Roughly 30–50 kcal per 1000 steps |
| Active job (retail, teaching) | 500–1000 kcal/day | Posture and walking add up significantly |
| During prolonged calorie deficit | Drops 200–500 kcal/day below baseline | Adaptive thermogenesis reduces spontaneous movement |
Micro movement upgrades
| Upgrade | Routine | Estimated effect |
|---|
| Hourly break blocks | 2 to 3 minute walk every 45 minutes | Keeps inactivity dips down |
| Phone walk loops | 5 minute route loops after key calls | Stabilizes step rhythm with low friction |
| Desk load control | One standing segment each hour | Improves posture and movement density |
Quality and trend guards
| Pattern | What to interpret | Action |
|---|
| Steps up but output feels flat | Watch form quality, speed, and session mix | Preserve totals but inspect gait and wearables |
| More steps with low sleep | Likely noise from stress or compensation | Pair with readiness and recovery checks |
| Rising energy and better posture | Stronger baseline movement quality | Maintain with small automatic cues |
Track step count and movement from wearable metrics to model NEAT, then feed it into Energy Balance and total daily energy expenditure calculations.