What Are Physical Activity Levels: Why You Should Be Tracking Yours

Key Takeaways

• Physical activity levels—sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, and very active—are defined by the intensity, type, and duration of daily activities plus intentional exercise.
• Knowing your activity level helps you assess your current health status, understand your nutritional requirements, and set realistic fitness goals tailored to your lifestyle.
• Fitness trackers, apps, and activity logs can simplify the process of tracking and improving your activity levels.
• Progressing to a higher activity level, even in small steps, can lead to significant health benefits, including improved fitness, mental well-being, and reduced risk of chronic diseases.

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In the pursuit of weight loss and improving overall health, most struggle to find the appropriate level of exercise that will allow us to achieve our goals and fit into our busy lives. On top of that, many fitness trackers and nutrition apps ask about our current level of physical activity in order to calculate calorie needs, macronutrient ratios, and fitness goals. Understanding your current level of physical activity is thus a key step toward sustaining a healthier and more balanced lifestyle. As we all know, exercise plays a crucial role in maintaining fitness, managing weight, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and improving mental well-being. However, not all activity levels are the same nor provide the same effects on our physical and mental health. Identifying where you stand—lightly active, moderately active, or beyond—can bestow valuable insights for tailoring fitness goals and lifestyle changes to your unique needs.^{1, 2} 

In this article, we’ll define the four main levels of physical activity: sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, and very active. Each level comes with its own characteristics, examples of typical daily activities, and recommendations for progressing to higher levels as it fits with your aspirations. Whether you’re just beginning your fitness journey or seeking strategies to maintain a high level of activity, this guide will help you understand it all while choosing the amount of exercise that feels right for you. As was once stated by the creator of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” 

What Are Activity Levels?

Physical activity levels refer to the amount and intensity of physical movement a person engages in daily. These levels are typically calculated based on the total energy expenditure relative to a person’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) or the amount of energy (or calories) your body needs to perform basic functions that keep you alive, like breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining body temperature. Thus, your activity level is often expressed as a multiplier of BMR. 

For example, a sedentary person’s activity level may be around 1.2 times their BMR, while a very active individual may reach 1.9 or higher. 

When defining these levels, factors such as the type, duration, and intensity of activities are considered. Knowing these calculations helps analyze how much physical activity is being incorporated into daily routines and its contribution to overall health and well-being.

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href=using-mets-to-track-physical-activity>Using METs to Track Physical Activity</a>.</div>

The Four Activity Levels 

Let’s define the four primary levels of physical activity—sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, and very active—and learn how they help provide a framework for evaluating current movement habits and setting goals. Each level represents a range of activities varying in intensity, type of physical activity, and duration, from minimal movement to high-intensity exercise. 

By identifying which category best describes your daily routine, you can better understand your health profile and develop a plan to either maintain or enhance your activity level. 

1. Sedentary: A sedentary activity level is characterized by minimal physical movement and low energy expenditure. This typically applies to individuals who spend most of their day sitting or lying down, such as office workers or those with limited mobility. Daily activities may include basic tasks like eating, using a computer, or short walks around the house, with little to no structured exercise. Energy expenditure for sedentary individuals is generally about 1.2 times their basal metabolic rate (BMR). To move beyond this level, incorporating even small amounts of physical activity, such as brief walks, household chores, or light stretching, can make a meaningful difference.
2. Lightly Active: A lightly active person includes some physical activity in their daily routine but does not engage in sustained or vigorous activity. Being lightly active involves low-intensity activities such as leisurely walking, light household chores, or casual gardening and amounts to 30-60 minutes of movement per day. The energy expenditure for this group is around 1.375 times their BMR. While this activity level contributes to basic health maintenance, increasing the duration or intensity of activities can provide more significant health benefits.
3. Moderately Active: Moderately active individuals incorporate physical activity into their daily routine, combining movement from daily tasks with planned exercise. Examples include brisk walking, water aerobics, biking, weight lifting, or engaging in moderate-intensity sports for about 60-90 minutes most days of the week. This level corresponds to an energy expenditure of about 1.55 times BMR. Being moderately active is ideal for maintaining general health and fitness. According to the CDC, adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. This can be broken down into 30 minutes of exercise, 5 days a week.³ 
4. Very Active: A very active individual consistently participates in high-intensity or long-duration physical activities ( more than 90 minutes a day). Vigorous-intensity activities include running, swimming, or intense sports (i.e., basketball, soccer, trail running). Additionally, occupations requiring significant physical effort, such as construction or farming, may fall into this category. Energy expenditure for very active individuals is about 1.725 to 1.9 times their BMR. Maintaining this level requires a balanced approach to nutrition and recovery to support the high energy demands and sustain long-term health without overtraining.

The Bottom Line

Monitoring your physical activity level is a practical way to stay accountable and ensure you meet your health and fitness needs. It also highlights opportunities for improvement, ensuring your efforts align with your desired goals. Using strategies to track your activity level can be essential to understanding and attaining the improvements you’re hoping for. 

Numerous tools and methods are available to help you assess your daily movement, from wearable fitness trackers and smartphone apps to self-reported activity logs and caloric expenditure calculators. These tools can provide valuable insights into the duration, intensity, and frequency of your activities, allowing you to pinpoint your current level and monitor your progress over time.

Whether you’re aiming to move from sedentary to lightly active or striving to maintain a very active lifestyle, regular tracking can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals by helping you identify patterns and areas for improvement. Remember, any step toward a more active routine is a step toward better health, so start small, track your progress, and celebrate each milestone along the way.

Learn More About Signos CGM 

Signos incorporates cutting-edge research and the proven power of continuous glucose monitoring. The data gleaned from the Signos app can help guide your health journey. Not sure if Signos is right for you? Take this quiz to find out! Interested in learning more about nutrition and healthy eating habits? Check out more articles on our blog.

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