What is Vigorous Exercise?

When it comes to cardio exercise, one of the most important elements is the intensity of your workout. While most guidelines recommend moderate intensity exercise most days of the week, working at a vigorous intensity can help you burn more calories and save time with shorter workouts.

So, how do you know if you're working at a vigorous intensity level? There's no precise definition, but there are ways to monitor how hard you're working:

• The Talk Test - If you're working at a vigorous intensity level, you should be breathless and only able to say a few words at a time.


• Perceived Exertion - To use this method, match how you feel during your workout to this Perceived Exertion Chart. A vigorous intensity would be around a Level 7-8.


• Percentage of Your Maximum Heart Rate - For this method, you can calculate your target heart rate zone and use a heart rate monitor to track your heart rate. To work at a vigorous intensity, you would stay between 80-90% percent of your maximum heart rate.

Examples of Vigorous Activities

Some activities are naturally more intense than others, especially exercises that involve impact, such as:

• High-intensity interval training
• Running
• Speed walking
• Hill walking
• Climbing stairs
• Jump roping
• Cross country skiing
• Plyometric exercises

How Often to do Vigorous Exercise

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines suggest doing 5 days of moderate intensity exercise or vigorous exercise for about 20 minutes, 3 days a week, but how much you do is based on your fitness level and goals. It's good to work at a variety of intensity levels to tap into different energy systems and work your body in different ways. Too much vigorous exercise could lead to burn out or overuse injuries, so you don't want to do this kind of exercise every day.

If you're a beginner, starting with interval training is a great way to get your body used to vigorous exercise in short, manageable bites. There are ways to work hard while keeping things low impact if jumping isn't comfortable for you. Learn more about how to add intensity to your workouts and get the most out of your workout time.

_Sources:

_{US Department of Human Health and Services. 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Accessed Jan 5, 2010.}

_{Jakicic JM, Clark K, Coleman E, et al. American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Appropriate intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001 Dec;33(12):2145-56.}