Measuring Physical Activity Intensity

The intensity of physical activity, or how hard your body is working, is typically categorized as light, moderate, or vigorous based on the amount of energy or effort a person expends in performing the activity. See General Physical Activities Defined By Level of Intensity (PDF-64k) for a chart that lists the intensity levels of many types of activities.

Talk Test

The talk test method of measuring intensity is simple. A person who is active at a light intensity level should be able to sing while doing the activity. One who is active at a moderate intensity level should be able to carry on a conversation comfortably while engaging in the activity. If a person becomes winded or too out of breath to carry on a conversation, the activity can be considered vigorous.

Metabolic Equivalent (MET) Level

The metabolic equivalent, or MET, is another way of measuring physical activity intensity level. Although the intensity of certain activities is commonly characterized as light, moderate, or vigorous, many activities can be classified in any one or all three categories simply on the basis of the level of personal effort involved in carrying out the activity (i.e., how hard one is working to do the activity). For example, one can bicycle at intensities ranging from very light to very vigorous. The table, General Physical Activities Defined By Level of Intensity (PDF-64k), provides one method of characterizing physical activities at different levels of effort based on the standard of a metabolic equivalent (MET). This unit is used to estimate the amount of oxygen used by the body during physical activity (Ainsworth et al., 1993). 

1 MET = the energy (oxygen) used by the body as you sit quietly, perhaps while talking on the phone or reading a book.

The harder your body works during the activity, the higher the MET. 

• Any activity that burns 3 to 5.9 METs is considered moderate-intensity physical activity.
• Any activity that burns 6.0 METs or more is considered vigorous-intensity physical activity.

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