Is 10,000 Steps “Lightly Active” in a TDEE Calculator?

Is 10,000 steps lightly active in a TDEE calculator? This question comes up often when people try to match their daily step count to the correct activity level.

Activity multipliers in TDEE calculators roughly group lifestyles into sedentary, lightly active, moderately active, very active, and athlete. Ten thousand steps per day often moves a person out of sedentary and into at least lightly active, depending on job demands and intentional exercise. Some calculators might even consider 10,000 daily steps plus regular workouts as moderate activity. When entering your activity level, think about your whole week: step count, workouts, and whether your job is mostly sitting, standing, or physical. If unsure, starting with “lightly active” is reasonable, then adjust based on real weight trends. If you maintain or gain eating at that level, your actual activity may match a lower multiplier than you selected.