What Is NEAT?

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended from all physical activities other than deliberate exercise, sleeping, and eating. NEAT includes activities like walking, standing, fidgeting, household chores, occupational tasks, and commuting.

Research by Levine et al. (2005) demonstrated that NEAT varies enormously between individuals, ranging from approximately 200 kcal/day in highly sedentary people to over 2,000 kcal/day in very active individuals — making it the most variable component of daily energy expenditure.

How This Calculator Works

Add individual daily activities with their durations. Each activity is assigned a MET value from the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities. The calculator uses the standard formula:

Calories = (MET × 3.5 × body weight in kg × minutes) ÷ 200

Results are broken down by category (occupation, household, transport, leisure, postural) to show where your NEAT comes from. For overall daily energy calculations, see our Daily Energy Requirements Calculator.

NEAT Categories

  • Occupation: Energy from work activities — desk work (1.5 METs) to heavy manual labor (6.0 METs). This is typically the largest single NEAT contributor.
  • Household: Cooking (2.5 METs), cleaning (2.5–3.3 METs), gardening (4.0 METs), childcare (3.0 METs), and home maintenance.
  • Transport: Walking (2.0–5.0 METs depending on pace), cycling commutes (4.0 METs), and stair climbing (4.0 METs).
  • Leisure: Shopping (2.3 METs), playing with pets (3.0 METs), casual dancing (3.5 METs), and other non-exercise recreation.
  • Postural: Standing (1.3 METs), fidgeting (1.8–2.0 METs), and pacing (2.5 METs). Small but cumulative over a full day.

Tips for Using This Calculator

  1. Log a typical day — include work hours, commute, household tasks, and downtime
  2. Be specific with durations — 30 minutes of cooking is different from 2 hours
  3. Compare your total to the sedentary/active benchmarks provided
  4. Use the category breakdown to understand where your activity comes from

Related tools: Walking Calorie Calculator, Standing Desk Calculator, Home Activities Calculator, MET Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & References

  1. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Levine JA. Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2002)
  2. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): a component of total daily energy expenditure. von Loeffelholz C, Birkenfeld AL. Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry (2018)
  3. 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities. Ainsworth BE et al.. PA Compendium (2024)

Disclaimer: This tool is for informational and personal journaling purposes only. Results are estimates based on published formulas and may vary based on individual factors such as genetics, training history, and measurement technique.

Manish Kumar
Manish KumarNASM-CPTCertified Sports Nutritionist

Certified Personal Trainer & Sports Nutritionist

Fitness professional with 10+ years of experience in personal training, sports nutrition, and fitness technology.