If you are doing moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking or hiking, you can talk, but not sing during the activity. If you want to do more vigorous-level activities, slowly replace those that take moderate effort like brisk walking with more vigorous activities like jogging.
Thus, walking at 3 to 4 miles-per-hour is considered to require 4 METs and to be a moderate-intensity activity, regardless of who is doing the activitya young marathon runner or a 90-year-old grandmother.
Examples of moderate aerobic activities
Moderate aerobic activities can include: a brisk walk. cycling gently or on level ground. gentle swimming.
Moderate Intensity is 65–74% of your Maximum Heart Rate. Light Intensity is 55–64% of your Maximum Heart Rate.
About 30 minutes of walking a day can help you make progress toward your weight loss and fitness goals.
Experts say, walking 10,000 steps is a form of low-to-moderate intensity cardio exercise. Thus, it can be equivalent to other low-moderate intensity cardio exercises like cycling, elliptical cross trainer, swimming and aquatic exercises.
Examples of light physical activity include walking slowly, playing pool (billiards), croquet, fishing, and light housework such as cooking, dusting, ironing, folding laundry, washing dishes, and putting away groceries.
Some light physical activities you can do are walking, dancing, doing household chores, lightweight training, yoga, and pilates.
Examples of moderate intensity activities include: brisk walking. water aerobics. riding a bike.
Walk for 30 minutes a day
Moderate activities such as walking pose little health risk but if you have a medical condition, check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program of physical activity.
According to researchers at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, walking about 100 steps per minute is considered “moderate” and 130 steps per minute can be considered “vigorous” or intense.
Even though the participants had a range of different body weights and fitness levels, researchers found that what constituted brisk or moderate walking was consistent across the studies: about 100 steps per minute (or about 2.7 miles per hour).
For a person with excellent fitness, an approximate moderate walking pace: 15 minutes per mile (4 miles per hour) 9 minutes per kilometre (6.4 kilometres per hour)
Going on morning walks can help you tone your leg and abdominal muscles. Stronger muscles give you a wider range of motion and improve your overall strength and health. The pressure of moving is also shifted from your joints to your muscles. Clears your mind.
Walking is a type of cardiovascular physical activity, which increases your heart rate. This improves blood flow and can lower blood pressure. It helps to boost energy levels by releasing certain hormones like endorphins and delivering oxygen throughout the body.
Brisk walking is an example of a moderate intensity aerobic activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define moderate intensity aerobic activity as anything that makes a person sweat and raises their heart rate to the extent that they can talk but not sing.
Consider walking five to ten minutes a day when you first get home, and slowly increasing the time you walk each week. Do not do any strenuous exercise such as contact sports, jogging, tennis, sexual activity, or body conditioning (weightlifting, push-ups, sit-ups, etc.) for at least two months after you go home.
Sedentary is less than 5,000 steps per day. Low active is 5,000 to 7,499 steps per day. Somewhat active is 7,500 to 9,999 steps per day. Active is more than 10,000 steps per day.
Just 30 minutes of light exercise each day can benefit health.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends starting light when it comes to fitness with just 10-15 minutes a day of activity. Whether it's walking or something more involved, these short workouts can still be hugely beneficial to your body.