# NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis)

NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) is the energy you burn through all your daily movement outside of formal exercise. That means walking, standing, fidgeting, household chores, and just holding your posture. Between two people of similar size, NEAT can differ by up to about 2,000 kilocalories a day. It often adds more to your total energy balance than your workouts do. Higher NEAT goes with less visceral fat, better metabolic health, and a lower risk of death from too much sitting. That makes it a meaningful longevity lever.

## Sources

- Levine JA. (2002). Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). Best Practice & Research: Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1053/beem.2002.0227
- Levine JA. (2004). Nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT): environment and biology. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00562.2003

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_Canonical: https://longevity-switzerland.com/en/glossary/neat · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_