Health Benefits of Moderate and Vigorous Activities
Adults who are physically active are healthier and less likely to develop many chronic diseases than adults who are inactive. The United States Department of Health and Human Services have published Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which provides general physical activity recommendations for people of all ages and many different physical conditions.
For substantial health benefits, adults should do one of the following each week:
* 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity
* 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity
* combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity
For even greater health benefits, adults should do one of the following:
* 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity
* 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity
* a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity
These activities should be performed in episodes of at least 5 to 10 minutes, and preferably they should be done throughout the week. To reduce risk of injury, it is important to slowly increase the amount of physical activity gradually over a period of weeks to months. It is also important to contact your personal physician before beginning any new physical activity routine.
Examples of Moderate and Vigorous Activities
As a general rule of thumb, a person doing moderate-intensity aerobic activity can talk without much effort, but during vigorous intensity activities it is difficult to say more than a few words.
This table gives examples of moderate and vigorous-intensity activities for healthy adults.
Actitivities That Are Moderate Intensity | Actitivities That Are Vigorous Intensity | Activities That Can Be Either Moderate or Vigorous Intensity |
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