Q: Health experts speak about moderate and vigorous activity for 150 minutes a week. Can you suggest any moderate and vigorous activity I can do for so many minutes a week that is not exercise?
This question is like going to Rand Water and asking for electricity. To be fair it is creative; you must be the first person to write into a wellness and exercise column and ask for advice that is specifically “not exercise”.
The word exercise frightens people, it would seem. Or, at the very least, doing something called exercise puts up a mental block and people can’t bring themselves to do it.
We’ll humour you, but even though the activities deemed “moderate” and “vigorous” won’t be sit-ups, aerobics or high intensity interval training, they’ll still be exercise. There’s no way around it.
When politicians reframe their apathy, incompetence or outright malicious intent, most of us become bulls chasing red flags that cannot be caught, only to be worn down by being lanced, repeatedly, with the truth. I’ll give you flags to chase but the truth is that walking from your car to your desk is exercise, whether you like it or not.
The World Health Organisation recommends at least 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or at least 75-150 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week, or “an equivalent combination” of the two. It also recommends muscle-strengthening activities a few times a week, and alas, that is considered exercise.
You will do something for half an hour a day if you enjoy it. Be creative.
But to your point, light, moderate and vigorous are relative terms. A brisk walk for 30 minutes would be very taxing for an overweight sedentary person, whereas someone who routinely runs 10kms and half marathons would find it to be a breeze.
This makes one-size-fits-all recommendations such as “walk at 6km/h” less about science and more about just getting people moving.
Harvard’s School of Public Health explains it like this: Exercise experts speak about metabolic equivalents (MET). One MET is the energy it takes to sit quietly. Very few South Africans then understand one MET unless they’re asleep. It’s the equivalent of a 70kg person burning one calorie per kilogram of body weight per hour — in other words, 70 calories an hour.
Light activity is less than three METs. Three to six METs are considered moderate intensity because you are burning three to six times as much energy compared to if you sit quietly. Vigorous activity is more than six METs.
Now that we have sufficiently complicated your life, let’s look at what light, moderate and vigorous activity may look like — remembering that relativity matters. If you are fit, a brisk walk will hardly break a sweat whereas if you are just getting started, a brisk walk for 40 minutes will be a great workout. If you are fit and strong, a brisk 40-minute walk will give a great fat-burning addition to your regimen.
Light activity is less than three METs and may include (keeping our differences in size and fitness in mind) reading this column in hard copy by lifting the newspaper up, washing dishes, fishing, playing the guitar and walking slowly. Many people go for a stroll and think it’s exercise. While it’s good for the soul, it may not be the best for your heart and love handles.
Moderate activity, which is between three and six METs could include activities such as a brisk walk, vacuuming and mopping the house, pushing the lawnmower, raking up grass and a cycle around the suburb. Harvard includes badminton and doubles tennis, and says that singles tennis is considered vigorous. If you play properly it most certainly is.
According to Harvard, vigorous activity would likely include a challenging hike, running at more than 10km/h, shovelling, cycling hard, playing soccer or basketball — perhaps a game of squash would appeal to you?
You will do something for half an hour a day if you enjoy it. Be creative. If it feels like torture you’ll find every excuse not to do it. Just don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’re doing a lot when you aren’t. On the other hand, just moving — even if it is a little — is still far better than sitting on the couch or at your favourite coffee shop.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.