How Increasing My NEAT Changed Everything
For most of my competitive powerlifting career, I thought I had “movement” covered. I trained hard, trained smart, and rarely missed a session, but outside of my training, most of my day was spent sitting programming, coaching, working, or recovering. I wasn’t lazy or uninformed, the reality is that when you’re moving heavy weight multiple times a week, you feel like that’s enough.
When I made the switch to bodybuilding, I quickly realized how much better I felt once I started intentionally increasing my NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), which is just a fancy way of saying “the calories and benefits you get from daily movement that isn’t formal exercise.” Things like walking, taking the stairs, or just staying on your feet more throughout the day.
I decided to start tracking things more closely and picked up a Fitbit Inspire 3 (I grabbed mine on Amazon for around $99). It’s been worth every penny. It tracks steps, heart rate, calories burned, sleep quality, and even your resting heart rate trends, which is a great indicator of cardiovascular fitness and recovery. I’ve become much more aware of how much (or how little) I was actually moving outside the gym.
Now my daily routine includes 35 minutes of recumbent bike work, five days a week, usually fasted in the morning, keeping my heart rate above 130 bpm. (For the record, the timing doesn’t matter, it’s just when I like to do it.) On top of that, I make sure to get 10,000 steps a day, which my new treadmill helps make happen no matter the weather or schedule.
The changes I’ve noticed have been significant…
Better recovery: My legs don’t feel as heavy or tight, and I’m less sore between training sessions.
Improved digestion: More movement throughout the day helps everything work better.
Clearer head and better focus: Getting outside or even just walking indoors breaks up long work stretches and resets my brain.
More consistent energy levels: Instead of the afternoon crash, I stay more even throughout the day.
Leaner physique: Without changing much else, the extra daily activity adds up over time.
You don’t have to be perfect about it. You don’t need to hit 10,000 steps every day or nail your cardio five times a week without fail. Just be conscious of how much you’re moving and make an effort to add more. Take a short walk after meals, stand more often, park a little farther away, all of it counts.
After years of living the “train hard and recover harder” life of a powerlifter, I can confidently say that adding consistent cardiovascular work and daily movement has been one of the best decisions I’ve made for my health both physically and mentally. If you’ve been neglecting your NEAT, start small and build from there. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel once you simply start moving more.
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