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.
To maintain or improve your health, adults need to do aerobic and strength exercises every week.
As a minimum adults aged 19-64 should try to be active daily and should do:
- at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or fast walking every week, and
- strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).
or
- 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running or a game of singles tennis every week, and
- strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).
or
- A mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week. For example, two 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of fast walking equates to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, and
- strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).
One way you can achieve 150 minutes of weekly physical activity is to do 30 minutes on 5 days a week.
Aerobic activities
Aerobic physical activity helps to protect and maintain heart, lung and circulatory health, thereby reducing your risk of ill health as well as enhancing your mental health and wellbeing and helping you to maintain a healthy body weight.
What counts as moderate activity?
Moderate aerobic activity will increase your heart rate and make you breathe faster than normal and feel warmer. This can include:
It can also include more simple things like pushing a lawnmower, painting and decorating or heavy gardening.
Anything that isn't intense enough to increase your heart rate and breathing speed, like day to day housework or cooking, doesn't count towards your recommended amount of activity, although if it breaks up long periods of sitting it is still beneficial.
One way to tell if you're working at a moderate level is to try the ‘walkie, talkie test’. For example when walking briskly if you can still talk, but you can't sing the words to a song you are working at a moderate intensity. However if you are struggling to say more than a few words between breaths then you are likely to be working vigorously.
What counts as vigorous activity?
Vigorous physical activity can bring health benefits over and above that of moderate activity. During vigorous physical activity your heart will beat faster and your breathing rate will also increase. You’ll know when you are being vigorously active as, unlike moderate activity you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath. They’ll be no singing during the ‘walkie talkie test’.
Moderate and vigorous intensity is subjective, what is moderate to one person may be vigorous to another. It all depends on how fit you are. Generally, the types of activity that require vigorous effort for most people include:
In general, 75 minutes of vigorous activity can give similar health benefits to 150 minutes of moderate activity. Or simply one minute of vigorous is equal to two minutes of moderate activity. Therefore, the more you do, the greater the benefit to your health.
Muscle strengthening activities
Muscle strength is necessary in order to build and maintain strong bones so that we can easily do everyday tasks. It also regulates blood sugar and blood pressure and helps us to maintain a healthy weight.
Muscle strengthening activities are counted in repetitions and sets. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like a bicep curl, sit-up or push-up. A set is a group of repetitions. Muscle strengthening activities are not considered an aerobic activity, so should be done in addition to them.
Muscle strengthening activities may sound like they have to be intense, however activities focused on improving flexibility and mobility in your muscles also count towards your recommended amount. As long as you start off slowly and at pace that feels comfortable you can build up to more intense strengthening or muscle building activity if you wish.
Strength exercises include:
Some activities count as both an aerobic activity and a muscle-strengthening activity, such as:
- circuit training
- aerobics
- running
- You can measure exercise intensity using target heart rates, the talk test, or the exertion rating scale.
- For maximum health benefits, the goal is to work hard, but not too hard, described as moderate intensity by Australia's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.
- If you have a medical condition, are overweight, are aged over 40 years or haven’t exercised regularly in a long time, see your doctor for a medical check-up before starting any new exercise program.
Exercise intensity refers to how hard your body is working during physical activity. Your health and fitness goals, as well as your current level of fitness, will determine your ideal exercise intensity.
Typically, exercise intensity is described as low, moderate, or vigorous. For maximum health benefits, the goal is to work hard, but not too hard – described as moderate intensity by Australia's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines. These guidelines recommend that for good health, you should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days, in addition to a general message of moving more and sitting less. This is the same for women and men.
Pre-exercise screening is used to identify people with medical conditions that may put them at a higher risk of experiencing a health problem during physical activity. It is a filter or ‘safety net’ to help decide if the potential benefits of exercise outweigh the risks for you. Ensure you read through the pre-exercise self-screening tool before you embark on a physical activity or exercise program.
Measuring exercise intensity
There are various ways to measure your exercise intensity to make sure your body is getting the most out of every workout. You may need to experiment to find out which method of measuring exercise intensity suits you best. Three different measurement methods include:- target heart rate
- talk test
- exertion rating scale.
Measuring exercise intensity using your target heart rate
The human body has an in-built system to measure its exercise intensity – the heart. Your heart rate will increase in proportion to the intensity of your exercise. You can track and guide your exercise intensity by calculating your Target Heart Rate (THR) range.For moderate-intensity physical activity, a person's THR should be 50 to 70 per cent of their maximum heart rate. The maximum rate is based on a person's age. An estimate of a person's maximum heart rate can be calculated as 220 beats per minute (bpm) minus your age. Because it is an estimate, use it with caution.Keep your heart rate at the lower end of your recommended range if you are just starting regular exercise. Gradually increase the intensity of your workouts as your fitness improves. Also, your heart rate should stay in the lower ranges during warm-up and cool-down periods.Using a heart rate monitor is an easy way to keep track of your heart rate while you’re exercising, or you can take your pulse (see below).Seeking medical advice about your target heart rate
If you have a medical condition, are overweight, are aged over 40 years or haven’t exercised in a long time, see your doctor for a medical check-up before starting any new exercise program. Your heart rate target range may need to be professionally recalculated to take your health and general fitness into account.Some medications can alter your heart rate response to exercise, so make sure you discuss the medications you are taking and how they could affect your exercise plans with your doctor. It may be necessary to use another option for monitoring exercise intensity if you are taking certain medications.Target heart rate chart
| 20 | 100 – 140 |
| 25 | 98 – 137 |
| 30 | 95 – 133 |
| 35 | 93 – 130 |
| 40 | 90 – 126 |
| 45 | 88 – 123 |
| 50 | 85 – 119 |
| 55 | 83 – 116 |
| 60 | 80 – 112 |
| 65 | 78 – 109 |
Measuring your heart rate by taking your pulse
Taking your pulse at regular intervals lets you know whether you are exercising within your target heart rate range. Some tips include:- Take your pulse before you warm up.
- Take your pulse again when you’ve been exercising for about 5-10 minutes.
- Continue taking your pulse at regular intervals.
- Put the first three fingers of one hand against the inner wrist of the other hand just below the thumb.
- Lightly press your fingers into the hollow next to the tendon on the thumb-side – your artery lies just beneath the skin.
- Using a watch with a second hand, count your pulse for 15 seconds. Multiply this figure by four to get your beats per minute. (For example, 31 pulse beats over 15 seconds equals a pulse rate of 124 beats per minute.)
Factors known to influence heart rate
It’s not just exercise that affects your heart rate. Your beats per minute could be raised by a number of internal and external factors including:- hot weather
- caffeine intake
- time of day
- hormone fluctuations
- stress or anxiety
- cigarette smoking
- medications.
Measuring exercise intensity using the talk test
The talk test is a simple and reliable way to measure intensity. As a rule of thumb:- If you can talk and sing without puffing at all, you’re exercising at a low level.
- If you can comfortably talk, but not sing, you’re doing moderate intensity activity.
- If you can’t say more than a few words without gasping for breath, you’re exercising at a vigorous intensity.
Measuring exercise intensity using the exertion rating scale
This method is based on observing your body’s physical signs during physical activity, including increased heart rate, increased respiration or breathing rate, increased sweating, and muscle fatigue. To keep within a moderate intensity, aim to experience the exercise signs 3–7 in the chart below.You can keep a diary of your exertion ratings to monitor your fitness progressions. As you become fitter, the same activity will become easier and your exertion rating will decrease. Then you’ll know it’s time to increase your effort.| 0 | None | None |
| 1 | Minimal | None |
| 2 | Barely there | Sensation of movement |
| 3 | Moderate | Stronger sensation of movement |
| 4 | Somewhat hard | Warmth or light sweating |
| 5 | Hard | Sweating |
| 6 | Harder | Moderate sweating |
| 7 | Very hard | Moderate sweating, but can still talk |
| 8 | Extremely hard | Heavy sweating, can't talk |
| 9 | Maximum effort | Very heavy sweating, can't talk |
| 10 | Maximum effort | Exhaustion |
Your body’s response to moderate intensity exercise normally includes:
- faster heart rate
- faster breathing
- feeling warmer
- slight swelling of the hands and feet
- mild to moderate perspiration
- mild muscular aches for a day or two afterwards, if you are not used to the physical activity.
Exercise intensity warning signs
If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop exercising and seek medical help:- extreme breathlessness
- breathing problems such as wheezing or coughing
- chest pain or pressure
- extreme perspiration
- dizziness or fainting
- severe muscle pain or cramps
- nausea
- severe pain in any muscles or joints
- extreme and long-lasting fatigue after exercising.
Where to get help
- Your doctor
- Exercise physiologist
- Physiotherapist
- Fitness professionals
Things to remember
- You can measure exercise intensity using target heart rates, the talk test, or the exertion rating scale.
- For maximum health benefits, the goal is to work hard, but not too hard, described as moderate intensity by Australia's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.
- If you have a medical condition, are overweight, are aged over 40 years or haven’t exercised regularly in a long time, see your doctor for a medical check-up before starting any new exercise program.
- High blood pressure (hypertension), 2014, Mayo Clinic, USA. More information here.
- Measuring physical activity intensity – target heart rate and estimated maximum heart rate, 2015, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, More information here.
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This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
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