- How Long: At least 10 minutes at a time
- What Does Vigorous Aerobic Exercise Feel Like? You are breathing rapidly and only able to speak in short phrases. Your heart rate is substantially increased and you are likely to be sweating.
- Kinds of Vigorous Aerobic Exercise:
- racewalking
- hiking uphill
- jogging or running
- cycling more than 10 miles per hour
- swimming fast or lap swimming
- aerobic dancing, fast dancing
- heavy gardening - digging, hoeing
- martial arts
- playing sports with lots of running: basketball, hockey, soccer
- singles tennis
- How Often: Different guidelines give different levels. The American Heart Association Guidelines 2007 recommends 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes per week.
More Is Better
These guidelines are the minimum for maintaining good health. If you workout for longer, or more often, you further improve your fitness and reduce your risk of chronic disease and weight gain.
Sources: Haskell WL, Lee IM, Pate RR, Powell KE, Blair SN, Franklin BA, Macera CA, Heath GW, Thompson PD, Bauman A. "Physical Activity and Public Health. Updated Recommendation for Adults From the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association." Circulation. 2007 Aug 1. [Epub ahead of print]
"Be Active Your Way: A Fact Sheet for Adults" U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed 10/12/2008.
