Move More, Burn More: Understanding NEAT and How to Track It

Leah Woolner
Apr 5
2 min read

When it comes to fat loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, most people focus on workouts and calorie intake. But there’s a powerful, often overlooked element that can make a huge difference—NEAT.

What is NEAT?

NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. It’s all the calories you burn from daily movements that aren’t deliberate exercise. Think:

Walking to the shop
Cleaning the house
Taking the stairs
Gardening
Fidgeting or standing

Even though these seem small, they add up in a big way and can significantly impact your overall energy expenditure—especially if your goal is fat loss or a more active lifestyle.

Why NEAT Matters

You may work out for 30–60 minutes a day, but what you do in the other 23 hours matters just as much. Boosting your NEAT can:

Burn more calories throughout the day
Improve circulation and posture
Reduce the health risks associated with sedentary lifestyles
Support weight management without added stress on your body

How to Track NEAT

You can’t track NEAT directly—but you can track your daily step count and active minutes, which are the easiest ways to estimate NEAT. Fitness trackers like Apple Watches and Fitbits do this automatically.

Apple Watch

Check your Activity Rings: Your Move ring shows your active calorie burn, which includes NEAT.
Steps: Open the Fitness app and scroll to see your step count.
Stand Goal: Aim to stand up and move for at least 1 minute every hour.

Fitbit

Daily Steps: The Dashboard shows your step count front and centre.
Active Minutes: These include light movement like walking.
Hourly Movement Reminders: Fitbit will nudge you to move each hour—say yes to those nudges!

How to Set NEAT Targets on Your Devices

Apple Watch

Open the Fitness app on your Apple Watch or iPhone.
Tap the Move goal (the red ring) and adjust it to reflect your NEAT target—aim for a level that encourages more daily movement.
Set Stand reminders to on, which prompts you to get up every hour.
Monitor your steps daily by checking the Health app or third-party apps like Pedometer++ for more detailed tracking.

Fitbit

Open the Fitbit app and tap on your profile picture.
Go to Activity & Wellness > Daily Activity.
Adjust your step goal to suit your NEAT target (e.g. 8,000–12,000 steps per day).
Make sure Hourly Activity reminders are turned on, so you’re prompted to move at least 250 steps each hour.

NEAT Target to Aim For

General target: 8,000–12,000 steps per day
If you’re currently sedentary, start by increasing your step count by 1,000 per day each week.

This isn’t about perfection—it’s about moving more throughout your day.

Easy Ways to Boost NEAT

Take walking meetings or phone calls
Park further away at the shops
Do a quick tidy-up around the house
Use a standing desk or take short stretch breaks
Walk during your lunch break

Final Thoughts

NEAT is a game-changer when it comes to boosting fat loss and improving health—without needing extra workouts. By simply moving more in your daily life and tracking your steps with an Apple Watch or Fitbit, you can burn more calories, stay active, and feel better overall.