An individual's physical activity level reflects their average pattern of daily activity. The activity levels you can choose from in Professional are predefined based on research.
You can choose an activity level in the client's Profile on their Dashboard tab. Each activity level corresponds to a value known as a Physical Activity Level (PAL) factor, which is used in the calculation of the individual's estimated energy requirements.
Choose a Physical Activity Level
To choose an activity level, compare your client's pattern of activity with the examples in the table below. The pattern should represent an average day.
If you're still unsure about which activity level to choose, you can look at the breakdown of hours the client spends pursuing different types of activity over a normal day.
| Activity |
Duration |
Description |
| Sleeping |
8 hours |
Overnight |
| Sitting/Lying Quietly |
12.5 hours |
Includes reading, thinking, listening, watching TV, being a passenger in a vehicle |
| Sitting busy |
3 hours |
Includes talking, eating, playing cards, typing, driving a vehicle, sewing, handcrafts, writing |
| Light on foot activities |
0.5 hours |
Includes some walking and moving around or active work e.g. light domestic chores, production line, handyman work, light gardening, lawn bowls, golf, strolling, walking at an average pace |
| Moderate on foot activities |
0 hours |
Involves walking or moving around quite a lot and activities which involve some bursts of heavy work e.g. vacuuming, vigorous sweeping, pushing a wheelbarrow, sailing, badminton, dancing, fast walking |
| Strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Very heavy gardening and digging, chopping wood, very heavy building or lifting, fast paced tennis/cycling, moderate paced swimming, football, jogging (7km/hr), weight training |
| Very strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Race-paced swimming/rowing/cycling, fast paced squash, running (10-15km/hr) |
| Activity |
Duration |
Description |
| Sleeping |
8 hours |
Overnight |
| Sitting/Lying quietly |
4 hours |
Includes reading, thinking, listening, watching TV, being a passenger in a vehicle |
| Sitting busy |
11.5 hours |
Includes talking, eating, playing cards, typing, driving a vehicle, sewing, handcrafts, writing |
| Light on foot activities |
0.5 hours |
Includes some walking and moving around or active work e.g. light domestic chores, production line, handyman work, light gardening, lawn bowls, golf, strolling, walking at an average pace |
| Moderate on foot activities |
0 hours |
Involves walking or moving around quite a lot and activities which involve some bursts of heavy work e.g. vacuuming, vigorous sweeping, pushing a wheelbarrow, sailing, badminton, dancing, fast walking |
| Strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Very heavy gardening and digging, chopping wood, very heavy building or lifting, fast paced tennis/cycling, moderate paced swimming, football, jogging (7km/hr), weight training |
| Very strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Race-paced swimming/rowing/cycling, fast paced squash, running (10-15km/hr) |
| Activity |
Duration |
Description |
| Sleeping |
8 hours |
Overnight |
| Sitting/Lying quietly |
9 hours |
Includes reading, thinking, listening, watching TV, being a passenger in a vehicle |
| Sitting busy |
3 hours |
Includes talking, eating, playing cards, typing, driving a vehicle, sewing, handcrafts, writing |
| Light on foot activities |
4 hours |
Includes some walking and moving around or active work e.g. light domestic chores, production line, handyman work, light gardening, lawn bowls, golf, strolling, walking at an average pace |
| Moderate on foot activities |
0 hours |
Involves walking or moving around quite a lot and activities which involve some bursts of heavy work e.g. vacuuming, vigorous sweeping, pushing a wheelbarrow, sailing, badminton, dancing, fast walking |
| Strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Very heavy gardening and digging, chopping wood, very heavy building or lifting, fast paced tennis/cycling, moderate paced swimming, football, jogging (7km/hr), weight training |
| Very strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Race-paced swimming/rowing/cycling, fast paced squash, running (10-15km/hr) |
| Activity |
Duration |
Description |
| Sleeping |
8 hours |
Overnight |
| Sitting/Lying quietly |
4 hours |
Includes reading, thinking, listening, watching TV, being a passenger in a vehicle |
| Sitting busy |
7 hours |
Includes talking, eating, playing cards, typing, driving a vehicle, sewing, handcrafts, writing |
| Light on foot activities |
5 hours |
Includes some walking and moving around or active work e.g. light domestic chores, production line, handyman work, light gardening, lawn bowls, golf, strolling, walking at an average pace |
| Moderate on foot activities |
0 hours |
Involves walking or moving around quite a lot and activities which involve some bursts of heavy work e.g. vacuuming, vigorous sweeping, pushing a wheelbarrow, sailing, badminton, dancing, fast walking |
| Strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Very heavy gardening and digging, chopping wood, very heavy building or lifting, fast paced tennis/cycling, moderate paced swimming, football, jogging (7km/hr), weight training |
| Very strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Race-paced swimming/rowing/cycling, fast paced squash, running (10-15km/hr) |
| Activity |
Duration |
Description |
| Sleeping |
8 hours |
Overnight |
| Sitting/Lying quietly |
3 hours |
Includes reading, thinking, listening, watching TV, being a passenger in a vehicle |
| Sitting busy |
6 hours |
Includes talking, eating, playing cards, typing, driving a vehicle, sewing, handcrafts, writing |
| Light on foot activities |
5 hours |
Includes some walking and moving around or active work e.g. light domestic chores, production line, handyman work, light gardening, lawn bowls, golf, strolling, walking at an average pace |
| Moderate on foot activities |
2 hours |
Involves walking or moving around quite a lot and activities which involve some bursts of heavy work e.g. vacuuming, vigorous sweeping, pushing a wheelbarrow, sailing, badminton, dancing, fast walking |
| Strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Very heavy gardening and digging, chopping wood, very heavy building or lifting, fast paced tennis/cycling, moderate paced swimming, football, jogging (7km/hr), weight training |
| Very strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Race-paced swimming/rowing/cycling, fast paced squash, running (10-15km/hr) |
| Activity |
Duration |
Description |
| Sleeping |
8 hours |
Overnight |
| Sitting/Lying quietly |
2 hours |
Includes reading, thinking, listening, watching TV, being a passenger in a vehicle |
| Sitting busy |
7.5 hours |
Includes talking, eating, playing cards, typing, driving a vehicle, sewing, handcrafts, writing |
| Light on foot activities |
4 hours |
Includes some walking and moving around or active work e.g. light domestic chores, production line, handyman work, light gardening, lawn bowls, golf, strolling, walking at an average pace |
| Moderate on foot activities |
2 hours |
Involves walking or moving around quite a lot and activities which involve some bursts of heavy work e.g. vacuuming, vigorous sweeping, pushing a wheelbarrow, sailing, badminton, dancing, fast walking |
| Strenuous activities |
0.5 hours |
Very heavy gardening and digging, chopping wood, very heavy building or lifting, fast paced tennis/cycling, moderate paced swimming, football, jogging (7km/hr), weight training |
| Very strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Race-paced swimming/rowing/cycling, fast paced squash, running (10-15km/hr) |
| Activity |
Duration |
Description |
| Sleeping |
8 hours |
Overnight |
| Sitting/Lying quietly |
4 hours |
Includes reading, thinking, listening, watching TV, being a passenger in a vehicle |
| Sitting busy |
4 hours |
Includes talking, eating, playing cards, typing, driving a vehicle, sewing, handcrafts, writing |
| Light on foot activities |
4 hours |
Includes some walking and moving around or active work e.g. light domestic chores, production line, handyman work, light gardening, lawn bowls, golf, strolling, walking at an average pace |
| Moderate on foot activities |
2 hours |
Involves walking or moving around quite a lot and activities which involve some bursts of heavy work e.g. vacuuming, vigorous sweeping, pushing a wheelbarrow, sailing, badminton, dancing, fast walking |
| Strenuous activities |
2 hours |
Very heavy gardening and digging, chopping wood, very heavy building or lifting, fast paced tennis/cycling, moderate paced swimming, football, jogging (7km/hr), weight training |
| Very strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Race-paced swimming/rowing/cycling, fast paced squash, running (10-15km/hr) |
| Activity |
Duration |
Description |
| Sleeping |
8 hours |
Overnight |
| Sitting/Lying quietly |
4 hours |
Includes reading, thinking, listening, watching TV, being a passenger in a vehicle |
| Sitting busy |
3 hours |
Includes talking, eating, playing cards, typing, driving a vehicle, sewing, handcrafts, writing |
| Light on foot activities |
4 hours |
Includes some walking and moving around or active work e.g. light domestic chores, production line, handyman work, light gardening, lawn bowls, golf, strolling, walking at an average pace |
| Moderate on foot activities |
2.5 hours |
Involves walking or moving around quite a lot and activities which involve some bursts of heavy work e.g. vacuuming, vigorous sweeping, pushing a wheelbarrow, sailing, badminton, dancing, fast walking |
| Strenuous activities |
2.5 hours |
Very heavy gardening and digging, chopping wood, very heavy building or lifting, fast paced tennis/cycling, moderate paced swimming, football, jogging (7km/hr), weight training |
| Very strenuous activities |
0 hours |
Race-paced swimming/rowing/cycling, fast paced squash, running (10-15km/hr) |
Warwick, P.M., Predicting food energy requirements from estimates of energy expenditure, in Truswell AS, Dreosti IE, English RM, Palmer NP and Rutishauser I (eds). Recommended nutrient intakes: Australian papers. Sydney: Australian Professional Publishers, 1990.
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