Understanding exercise intensity
The Australian physical activity guidelines recommend exercising at a moderate intensity to see benefits – but what does that actually mean? Knowing how much effort to put in when exercising can be a tricky thing to understand and to get right – so let's look at some ways that exercise intensity can be measured that you can use when you are next getting active.
One way of measuring your intensity when out for a walk is to use a simple talk test – when you are walking at a moderate intensity, you should be able to talk in complete short sentences. You shouldn’t be able to sing (that would be low intensity), but you also shouldn’t be gasping for air and unable to talk (that would be hard/vigorous intensity).
Another way to measure exercise intensity is to use an RPE scale – this stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion – in other words, how much effort do you feel you are putting in. A common way of seeing this scale is where it goes from 0 – 10, with each of the numbers on the scale indicating different levels of intensity, from sedentary through to maximum effort. The scale helps you by giving you a number related to how hard you are working.
How do I make my walk harder or easier?
You can increase your intensity by walking for longer, increasing your speed and/or introducing hills/inclines or stairs.
You can lower your intensity by slowing your pace, staying on flat routes, and stopping to rest whenever you need to.
Why do my walks feel harder some days than others?
Remember that the rating of your effort/intensity is exactly that - YOUR rating of effort! What it takes from you to get to the advised level on any given day will change, and be affected by things such as fatigue, motivation, mood as well as many external factors that come up in our everyday lives. The important thing is to listen to your body and aim for that right intensity - knowing that might mean a faster or slower pace, or a longer or shorter walk, on any given day.
