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Cardiovascular
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sedentary
persons can begin with brief episodes and gradually increase the
duration or intensity of activity.
Higher intensity activities require
less time spent. Lower intensity activities require more time spent.
Starting at a lower level of
effort and increasing gradually is especially important if those
who have been inactive for a long time. It may take months to go
from a very long-standing sedentary lifestyle to doing some of the
activities suggested in this section.
Chart: general physical activities defined
by level of intensity (PDF)
Light-intensity activities
- Walking slowly
- Golf, powered cart
- Swimming, slow treading
- Gardening or pruning
- Bicycling, very light effort
- Dusting or vacuuming
- Conditioning exercise, light
stretching or warm-up
Moderate-intensity activities
- Walking briskly
- Golf, pulling or carrying
clubs
- Swimming, recreational
- Mowing lawn, power motor
- Tennis, doubles
- Bicycling 5-9 mph, level
terrain, or with a few hills
- Scrubbing floors or washing
windows
- Weight lifting, machines
or free weights
Vigorous-intensity activities
- Racewalking, jogging or
running
- Swimming laps
- Mowing lawn, hand mower
- Tennis, singles
- Bicycling more than 10 mph,
or on steep uphill terrain
- Moving or pushing furniture
- Circuit training
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