What is Moderate-Intensity Exercise?
The U.S. Surgeon General recommends 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week. But what is “moderate-intensity”? Moderate-intensity exercise is activity that raises your heart rate and keeps it between 50 and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age). Put simply, enough to break a sweat and still carry on a conversation. (If you can sing, work harder!) The good news is that you don’t have to exercise all at once. Break up your workout into smaller chunks – three 10-minute walks a day, for example, aiming for 100 steps per minute. Can’t walk? As your condition allows, move your arms and/or legs to music while seated or drive yourself with a manually operated wheelchair. As your endurance and confidence grow, challenge yourself to try new activities or increase your current exercise activities.
