NEAT Exercise Is Arguably the Simplest, Most Effective Way to Stay in Shape – Which Is Why Celebs Swear By It

Let’s clear something up straight away: despite the name, NEAT has absolutely nothing to do with being tidy. You don’t need a labelled spice rack or a sock drawer organised by colour to take part. NEAT - short for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis - is simply the energy you burn through all the little movements you make when you’re not working out. Think: walking to the shop, climbing the stairs, walking up the escalator, hoisting your chronically overstuffed handbag, and even fidgeting your way through your morning meetings.

In fact, a 2024 study found that NEAT - the calories you burn just by moving around in everyday life - was significant for people who don’t do any formal workouts. And it’s clearly a hit: a 2025 YouGov survey found that walking is the UK’s favourite way to stay active, with 76% of adults saying it’s their go-to move. So really, NEAT is the only workout that happens when you’re simply living your life - which feels like a total win.

And it’s not just us regular folks seeking alternative ways to sneak in movement where we can - celebrities swear by it too. Salma Hayek has famously said she stays toned by subtly engaging her muscles all day (the glamorous version of remembering to squeeze your glutes while waiting for the kettle to boil). Jennifer Aniston is a fan of movement “little and often,” and Davina McCall happily swaps gym time for hikes or at-home flows when life gets busy. From subtle muscle engagement throughout the day to swapping gym sessions for hikes or home flows, NEAT is proving that staying in shape doesn’t have to mean a gym membership or an hour on the treadmill.

The appeal is obvious: NEAT steps in when life gets hectic, the idea of the gym feels overwhelming, and we’re forced to rethink all those mundane daily tasks as opportunities to move more.

If by now, you’re intrigued, read on for your full guide to all things NEAT, the benefits of increasing your NEAT, and 6 simple ways to up your NEAT. Keen to read about other low impact workouts? You're in the right place. Don't sleep on our guides to low-impact strength training, the best low-impact exercises to try, and not forgetting the benefits of low impact workouts, plus what happened when one writer swapped HIIT for low-impact workouts.

Celebrities Swear by NEAT Exercise - How To Stay in Your Best Shape Without a Gym Membership

What Is NEAT Exercise?

To understand NEAT, we must get the basics down first. We spoke with Aimee Victoria Long, celebrity personal trainer, about why NEAT deserves more credit than it often gets: “NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. In simple terms, it’s the energy you burn through all the small, natural movements you make going about life. It is the quiet background movement that keeps the body alive, supple, and engaged long after your workout ends.”

Sometimes the most effective wellness habits aren't flashy; they're the ones quietly bumping along in the background.

Aimee puts it perfectly: “I consider NEAT one of the most overlooked yet transformative elements of true vitality. It’s important to note it won’t build muscle like structured strength training, but it creates the metabolic foundation that allows your training to work more efficiently. It elevates daily calorie burn, improves circulation, enhances joint mobility, and helps you recover more gracefully between sessions. NEAT isn’t the star of the show, but it’s the elegant scaffolding that holds everything together.”

Why Is NEAT Important?

Now, I know what you’re thinking. If NEAT is essentially just getting the most out of your everyday movements, how could it possibly compete with the gym? The short answer: It doesn’t, and that’s the whole point. While NEAT won’t replace heavy lifting or formal cardio, it acts as the perfect support system for your training.

Multi-award-winning PT Lucinda Newman-Jones sums it up perfectly: “NEAT won’t build muscle the way resistance training does, or improve cardio fitness like a formal session, but it’s incredibly effective, keeping you moving, improving circulation, and reducing stiffness, it helps you recover faster and train more consistently. Over time, those small movements add up - increasing daily calorie burn, supporting heart health, and boosting metabolic function, all in a way that feels simple and achievable.”

What Are Examples of NEAT?

So, what does NEAT actually look like in real life? According to India Morse, lifestyle coach and PT, it’s all the little things you’re already doing: “think hoovering your room, walking to the station instead of catching the bus, taking the stairs, changing your duvet (which always feels like a workout), or carrying your shopping bags. Every day, low effort movement. NEAT naturally increases your daily calorie intake without ever needing to ‘work out’.”

And she’s not alone. Shiv Wilson, professional footballer and strength coach, adds that NEAT is “hiding in almost every corner of your day: running errands, standing instead of sitting, casual cycling, playing with the dog, moving from one room to the next.”

Put simply, NEAT is everywhere. These small, often overlooked movements quietly build over the course of the day, making a real, tangible impact on your energy expenditure, mobility, and overall fitness.

What Are The Benefits of Incorporating NEAT Into Your Routine?

It sounds simple enough, but can NEAT really make a difference to your fitness? According to Aimee, there’s so much more to NEAT than just ‘moving round a bit’: “When you build NEAT into your lifestyle, you create a natural rhythm of movement that enhances almost every metric of wellbeing. You support stable blood sugar levels and a healthier metabolism. You reduce stiffness for long periods of sitting.”

​And India backs this up too, especially when it comes to overall health: “For cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health, and fat loss, NEAT plays a significant role. Over time, the extra activity supports your heart health, and keeps you moving in a way that feels achievable - because it is. Don’t underestimate how powerful these small movements are.”

Plus, the research is pretty detailed on this. A 2018 review found that for people who don’t hit the gym regularly, everyday movements like walking, tidying, or taking the stairs actually make up most of their daily energy expenditure. Low NEAT? That’s strongly linked to higher rates of obesity. So yes, NEAT is far from “just background noise.”

​Another underrated perk? NEAT is a bit of a gift to your nervous system. It keeps things running smoothly while you go about your day feeling like a mildly efficient superhero.

3 Tips On Upping Your NEAT

1. Turn one daily task into a walk

Shiv suggests choosing one thing you already do - like a phone call or quick catch-up, and doing it while walking. Multitasking, but in a way that actually feels beneficial.

2. Shape your environment

A top tip from Aimee - curate your space so movement feels natural. Keep a pilates ball or light resistance band near your desk, use a standing desk for part of your day if possible, or invest in one of the best walking pads for at-home steps.

Top tip: Practice the forty-five and five rule. This means forty-five minutes of focused work followed by five minutes of gentle movement. Step outside for a breath of air between tasks. Make your morning and evening walk part of your ritual.

3. Make movement your default

An automatic win from India, this one is quite self-explanatory: stairs over lifts, parking a bit further away, standing while you clear your inbox… tiny decisions, big impact. Once you get into the habit, you barely notice you’re doing it - your step count just magically climbs.

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