Health Beat: Differences in exercises

How do you know if you're doing light, moderate or vigorous intensity aerobic activities?

For most people, light daily activities such as shopping, cooking or doing the laundry don't count toward the guidelines. Why? Your body isn't working hard enough to get your heart rate up.

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell is that you'll be able to talk but not sing the words to your favorite song. Here are some examples of activities that require moderate effort:

* Walking fast

* Doing water aerobics

* Riding a bike on level ground or with few hills

* Playing doubles tennis

* Pushing a lawn mower

Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity means you're breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. If you're working at this level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Here are some examples of activities that require vigorous effort:

* Jogging or running

* Swimming laps

* Riding a bike fast or on hills

* Playing singles tennis

* Playing basketball