What is the difference between moderate and vigorous intensity activities provide an example of each?

Exercise is an important part of cancer prevention and living a healthy life. It can help you obtain a healthy weight, lower your stress and strengthen your immune system. 

If you really want exercise to play a role in your own cancer prevention, you should aim for 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of more vigorous physical activity each week.

But what is the difference between moderate and vigorous exercise? How do you know which one is right for you?

“The difference is the intensity,” says Whittney Thoman, a senior exercise physiologist in the Cancer Prevention Center. “Intensity is subjective. What can be vigorous for one person can be moderate for another and vice versa.”

Measuring activity level

So how can you tell the difference between vigorous and moderate activity for cancer prevention? There are three ways to tell the difference between these two types of exercise.

The rate of perceived exertion: The rate of perceived exertion is a simple and subjective test. Just rate the activity you’re doing on a scale from zero (not difficult) to 10 (extremely difficult). Consider how hard you're breathing, how much you're sweating and if your muscles are aching.

"Use zero for no activity at all,” Thoman says.  "Basically, it's how you feel sitting in a chair."

A moderate activity would be anything rated as a five to eight and a vigorous activity would be anything rated as a seven or above.

The heart rate test: Use a heart rate monitor to show how hard the exercise is working your heart. If the heart rate monitor says you’re working at 50 to 60% of your max heart rate, then the exercise is considered moderate. If the heart rate monitor shows that you’re working at 70 to 85% of your heart rate then it’s vigorous exercise.

To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, if you’re 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum heart rate of 175. This is the maximum number of times your heart should beat per minute during exercise.

Keep in mind that some high blood pressure medications lower the maximum heart rate and target zone rate. If you’re taking one of these medications, talk to your doctor to find out if you need to use a lower target heart rate.

There are many different types of heart rate monitors, from straps to activity trackers to smart phone apps to those built in to treadmills and ellipticals. Thoman says it’s fine to use any of these heart rate monitors. Just make sure to use the same one to measure progress over time. Different heart rate monitors may show different results. 

The talk test: The talk test doesn’t require any additional equipment. To perform the talk test, see if you can talk or sing while performing the activity. If you’re doing a moderate exercise you should be able to talk, but not sing. If you’re doing a vigorous exercise, you shouldn’t be able to say more than a few words. 

Why vary activity level?

The average healthy adult should do a mix of moderate and vigorous forms of exercise to lower cancer risk, Thoman says.

“There are several benefits of doing exercises at a higher level of intensity,” she says. “Plus, it’s more time efficient because you can get a more powerful workout in quickly.”

Those benefits include:

• Improved cardiovascular health
• Increased metabolism
• Improved aerobic fitness

But moderate activity is important, too.

“It keeps you from burning out,” Thoman says. “We can’t all do vigorous exercise all the time.”

Vigorous exercise might not be right for everyone, especially patients with existing medical conditions. It’s best to talk to your doctor or an exercise specialist before starting a new exercise routine.

Request an appointment at MD Anderson's Lyda Hill Cancer Prevention Center online or call 877-632-6789.

Regular physical activity and limiting sedentary time is important for the health and development of children of all ages.  Encouraging kids to be active each day helps to build good habits that will stay with them throughout life.

Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines recommend the following for children and young people of different ages and stages:

Toddlers (1-2 years) should spend at least three hours per day being active, spread throughout the day, but more is better.  This includes active play such as running and jumping.  Toddlers shouldn’t be restrained (e.g. in a stroller, car seat or high chair) for more than one hour at a time or sit for extended periods. Screen time isn’t recommended for those under 2 years of age and should be limited to one hour in those aged 2 years.

Pre-schoolers (3-5 years) should spend at least three hours per day being active, spread throughout the day, but more is better. This includes active play such as running, jumping, kicking and throwing.  Pre-schoolers shouldn’t be restrained (e.g. in a stroller or car seat) for more than one hour at a time, or sit for extended periods.  Sedentary screen time should be limited to one hour per day, but less is better.

Children (5-12 years) and young people (13-17 years) should include at least one hour of moderate to vigorous intensity activity per day. More activity (up to several hours per day) will provide additional health benefits.   Muscle and bone strengthening activities are recommended at least three days per week.  Use of electronic media (e.g. television, computer/tablet, electronic games) for entertainment should be limited to no more than two hours per day, but lower levels are associated with reduced health risks.  Long periods of sitting should be broken up regularly with short bursts of activity.

Exercise explained:

• Moderate intensity activities are those which take some effort but you are still able to talk while doing them. Examples include brisk walking, swimming, dancing, riding a bike or playing active games.
• Vigorous intensity activities are those which require more effort and make you breathe harder and faster. Examples including running, fast cycling and many organised sports.
• Muscle and bone strengthening exercises include skipping, hopping, jumping, climbing and structured activities such as dance, gymnastics and martial arts.

The best way to encourage children to be active is to make time to be active as a family. Incorporating regular activity into your days and week will not only benefit the health of the whole family but will also provide opportunities to enjoy time together.

For more information:

Visit the Healthy Kids website for tips on active living for families.

Raising Kids for tips on healthy screen time for different ages from infants through to teens.

Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity noticeably accelerates your heart rate. Examples of this type of activity include brisk walking, cycling at moderate speeds, mopping, or walking with a purpose. Moderate-intensity activity also generally “breaks a sweat.” As a general guideline, if you are doing moderate-intensity activity, you can usually talk, but cannot sing, during the activity. Whereas, if you are doing vigorous-intensity activity, you will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Vigorous activities include running, cycling at fast speeds, and swimming laps.

Moderate activity includes any type of activity in which the core body temperature is raised, and you sweat but can still carry on a conversation with someone. Vigorous exercise is an exercise so intense that you are only able to answer short yes or no type questions. This is known as the sing song test. With moderate exercise, you will be able to sing a song, or carry on a conversation and still be able to continue the activity. Examples would include a brisk walk, a nice hike, yoga, moderate intensity weight training, a light jog, washing the car, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn. Vigorous activity will be of a high enough intensity that you are only able to give short responses like yes or no answers to questions. Examples would include a fast jog or run, climbing a steep hill or mountain, strenuous weight training, carrying heavy bags of concrete and strenuous calisthenics. To maximize your health you should perform lots of moderate physical activity each day and incorporate some vigorous activity into your routine 2-3 times a week. The more activity and the more vigorous activity you perform the more fit you will become and the greater health you will experience. 

Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.