Have you ever wondered what the differences are between light, moderate and vigorous exercise?
We are sure you don’t spend hours of your day pondering this question, but perhaps when you are reading an article in your favorite magazine or blog and you come across the term “light or moderate exercise”, you may wonder what the difference is.
We were indeed curious so we looked it up and with a little help from the experts at everydayhealth.com, we have come up with some answers:
Physical activity is defined as movement that involves contraction of your muscles. Any of the activities we do throughout the day that involves movement — housework, gardening, walking, climbing stairs — are examples of physical activity.
Most daily physical activity is considered light to moderate in intensity. There are certain health benefits that can only be accomplished with more strenuous physical activity, however. Improvement in cardiovascular fitness is one example.
Jogging or running provides greater cardiovascular benefit than walking at a leisurely pace, however, enhanced fitness doesn’t just depend of what physical activity you do, it also depends on how vigorously and for how long you do it.
How can you tell if an activity is considered moderate or vigorous in intensity? If you can talk while performing it, it’s moderate. If you need to stop to catch your breath after saying just a few words, it’s vigorous.
Depending on your fitness level, a game of doubles tennis would probably be moderate in intensity, while a singles game would be more vigorous. Likewise, ballroom dancing would be moderate, but aerobic dancing would be considered vigorous. Again, it’s not just your choice of activity, it’s how much exertion it requires.
Increasing the amount of physical activity in your everyday life is a good start — like parking a few blocks from your destination to get in some walking. But to really achieve fitness goals, you’ll want to incorporate structured, vigorous activities into your schedule to help you attain even more of your fitness and health goals.
