Active vs lightly active

AbbiLynnCox

What would you all consider active vs inactive. I'm trying to figure it out. I ride bikes 5-7 miles about 2-3 days a week, weather permitting. I reach 2,000-5,000-10,000 steps in a day between home and work. Some nights I play Just dance with my kids for about an hour. Would you consider that active or lightly active??

RoxieDawn

Biking is exercise this is not included in MFP's activity setting (its separate).

So you have to decide if the steps, playing with your kids, daily responsibilities equate to the one of the choices below.. From the sound of it you could be sedentary to lightly. But reaching 2000-3000-4000-even 5000 steps is not very active in a day.

And when you look at active setting, it specifies doing something PHYSICAL, and not just standing or walking.

Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)
Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

arditarose

There is a huge difference between 2k, 5k, and 10k steps. I average 10-14k steps and am lightly active. I've been using that setting on here for over 2 years and have lost and maintained with it.

Machka9

AbbiLynnCox wrote: »

What would you all consider active vs inactive. I'm trying to figure it out. I ride bikes 5-7 miles about 2-3 days a week, weather permitting. I reach 2,000-5,000-10,000 steps in a day between home and work. Some nights I play Just dance with my kids for about an hour. Would you consider that active or lightly active??

Aside from the little bit of activity you've mentioned, what do you spend the bulk of your day doing? If it is sitting, then ... sedentary.


A little story ...

I was getting set up by my organisation's ergonomic officer when I first started where I work, and she asked me how active I was. I told her I averaged 60 minutes a day of exercise. "Oh", she said, "so you spend the other 23 hours of the day being inactive".

That put things into perspective.

cookma423

I was dealing with this same question a few weeks ago. I'll share the most helpful advice I got: you're overthinking it. Start by trying the setting at lightly active, and if it isn't working out for you it is easily changed later.

sarahjen92

Biking is exercise. Anything you plan on logging as exercise is not included in your regular daily activity. That said, you should probably set yours for sedentary.

I have 3 physical jobs not including exercise, and still have mine set for sedentary.