PAL value (physical activity level)

The PAL value is the factor by which your basal metabolic rate is multiplied to give your total energy expenditure – it expresses how much movement there is in your day. PAL stands for “physical activity level”. A PAL of 1.4 means you burn 40% more than your body would need at complete rest.

The German Nutrition Society (DGE) uses the following levels: 1.2 for an exclusively seated or lying-down lifestyle (for example, people who are bedridden); 1.4 to 1.5 for almost exclusively seated activity with little leisure-time activity – office work, working from home, school; 1.6 to 1.7 for seated work with occasional walking and standing, such as teaching or lab work; 1.8 to 1.9 for jobs that mostly involve walking and standing, such as retail, nursing and care or skilled trades; 2.0 to 2.4 for physically strenuous work. If you also do 30 to 60 minutes of sport four to five times a week, the DGE says you can add 0.3.

The most common mistake when counting calories is using a PAL value that's too high. Two fitness classes a week don't turn an office day into an “active lifestyle” – PAL describes the whole day, not its best hour. If in doubt, go one level lower and check after two weeks how your weight is developing.

On the other hand, PAL is a wonderful lever: going from 1.4 to 1.6 means burning around 300 kcal more a day with a basal metabolic rate of 1,500 kcal – achievable with a brisk walk, taking the stairs instead of the lift and sitting less. Higher values apply to children, because running around and growing take more energy.