The physical activity can be of different types and usually, we should combine different types of activities to get the maximum health benefit.
Types according to the Intensity:
According to the intensity or effort put in for any exercise, physical activities can be of mild, moderate, or vigorous intensity. A simple way to differentiate is to check the ‘talk’ test!
During a Mild Intensity exercise, a person is able to talk in full sentences without trouble- and may even be able to sing.
During a Moderate intensity exercise, a person can talk in sentences but is unable to sing.
During a Vigorous intensity exercise, a person may find it difficult to talk in complete sentences.
The current recommendations advise 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity or a combination of both, every week.
Metabolic Equivalents (METs) are commonly used to express the intensity of physical activities. MET is the ratio of a person’s working metabolic rate relative to their resting metabolic rate. One MET is defined as the energy cost of sitting quietly and is equivalent to a caloric consumption of 1kcal/kg/hour. It is estimated that compared with sitting quietly, a person’s caloric consumption is three to six times higher when being moderately active (3-6 METs) and more than six times higher when being vigorously active (>6 METs).
Here is a chart by WHO to explain Moderate-intensity and Vigorous-Intensity Physical Activities, which are the beneficial ones for our health:
Here are American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recommendations for Physical Activity for adults:
