Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis is all the calories you burn from non-exercise movement — walking around the office, fidgeting, taking the stairs, cleaning, manual labour. It varies enormously between individuals.

Where does the 0.04 kcal/step figure come from?

It is the commonly used midpoint for adult walking at a moderate pace at roughly 70 kg bodyweight. The tool scales it linearly by your actual weight because heavier people burn more energy per step.

Why is NEAT capped at 2,000 kcal/day?

Levine's data show the realistic spread of NEAT between adults is about 0 to 2,000 kcal/day; capping prevents the calculator from producing unrealistic totals if step counts or bonuses are stacked.

How can I increase my NEAT?

The biggest levers are step count, standing more during the workday, and breaking up long sedentary blocks. Even an extra 3,000 steps a day adds roughly 120 kcal at average bodyweight.

Does this tool save my data?

No. Inputs stay in your browser and are cleared when you close the tab.

Is the NEAT calculator free?

Yes — completely free, no signup or limits.

NEAT Calculator

Estimate daily non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) in kcal/day.

Written by Golam Rabbani, Founder & Lead Engineer — Last updated 2026-05-01

This interactive tool requires JavaScript. Read the formula and worked example below; you can compute the result by hand.

How to use this neat calculator

Choose whether to compute BMR from age/sex/weight/height or enter your BMR directly.
If computing BMR, fill in the age, gender, and height fields.
Toggle kg/lbs and enter your body weight (used to scale the steps cost).
Enter your average daily step count.
Pick the occupation category and fidget level that best describe your day, then press Calculate.

About this neat calculator

The NEAT calculator estimates Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis — the energy you burn through everyday movement that is not formal exercise or sleeping, things like walking, standing, fidgeting, and occupational movement. It sums three contributions: a steps component (steps × 0.04 kcal/step, scaled linearly by bodyweight ÷ 70 kg), an occupation bonus (Desk 0, Standing 200, Light manual 400, Heavy manual 600 kcal/day), and a fidget bonus (Low 0, Average 150, High 350 kcal/day). The total is capped at 2,000 kcal/day to keep estimates physiologically realistic.

The framework follows Levine JA. "Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)" Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002;16(4):679-702, who documented variation in NEAT of up to 2,000 kcal/day between adults of the same weight. This is an estimate for informational purposes and is not a substitute for advice from a registered dietitian or qualified clinician.

For example, an 80 kg desk worker taking 8,000 steps with an Average fidget rating: steps cost = 8,000 × 0.04 × (80/70) ≈ 366 kcal; occupation bonus = 0; fidget bonus = 150; NEAT ≈ 516 kcal/day. The tool is useful for understanding why two people with the same BMR and the same gym schedule can need very different daily calories.

FAQ

What is NEAT?: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis is all the calories you burn from non-exercise movement — walking around the office, fidgeting, taking the stairs, cleaning, manual labour. It varies enormously between individuals.
Where does the 0.04 kcal/step figure come from?: It is the commonly used midpoint for adult walking at a moderate pace at roughly 70 kg bodyweight. The tool scales it linearly by your actual weight because heavier people burn more energy per step.
Why is NEAT capped at 2,000 kcal/day?: Levine's data show the realistic spread of NEAT between adults is about 0 to 2,000 kcal/day; capping prevents the calculator from producing unrealistic totals if step counts or bonuses are stacked.
How can I increase my NEAT?: The biggest levers are step count, standing more during the workday, and breaking up long sedentary blocks. Even an extra 3,000 steps a day adds roughly 120 kcal at average bodyweight.
Does this tool save my data?: No. Inputs stay in your browser and are cleared when you close the tab.
Is the NEAT calculator free?: Yes — completely free, no signup or limits.