General Physical Activities Defined By Level Of Intensity
General Physical Activities Defined by Level of Intensity
The following is in accordance with CDC and ACSM guidelines.
Moderate activity+
Vigorous activity+
3.0 to 6.0 METs*
Greater than 6.0 METs*
(3.5 to 7 kcal/min)
(more than 7 kcal/min)
Walking at a moderate or brisk pace of 3 to 4.5 Racewalking and aerobic walking—5 mph or
mph on a level surface inside or outside, such
faster
as
Jogging or running
• Walking to class, work, or the store;
Wheeling your wheelchair
• Walking for pleasure;
Walking and climbing briskly up a hill
• Walking the dog; or
Backpacking
• Walking as a break from work.
Mountain climbing, rock climbing, rapelling
Walking downstairs or down a hill
Roller skating or in-line skating at a brisk
Racewalking—less than 5 mph
pace
Using crutches
Hiking
Roller skating or in-line skating at a leisurely
pace
Bicycling 5 to 9 mph, level terrain, or with few
Bicycling more than 10 mph or bicycling on
hills
steep uphill terrain
Stationary bicycling—using moderate effort
Stationary bicycling—using vigorous effort
Aerobic dancing—high impact
Aerobic dancing—high impact
Water aerobics
Step aerobics
Water jogging
Teaching an aerobic dance class
Calisthenics—light
Calisthenics—push-ups, pull-ups, vigorous
Yoga
effort
Gymnastics
Karate, judo, tae kwon do, jujitsu
General home exercises, light or moderate
Jumping rope
effort, getting up and down from the floor
Performing jumping jacks
Jumping on a trampoline
Using a stair climber machine at a fast pace
Using a stair climber machine at a light-to-
Using a rowing machine—with vigorous effort
moderate pace
Using an arm cycling machine—with vigorous
Using a rowing machine—with moderate effort
effort
Weight training and bodybuilding using free
Circuit weight training
weights, Nautilus- or Universal-type weights
Boxing—punching bag
Boxing—in the ring, sparring
Wrestling—competitive
Ballroom dancing
Professional ballroom dancing—energetically
Line dancing
Square dancing—energetically
Square dancing
Folk dancing—energetically
Folk dancing
Clogging
Modern dancing, disco
Ballet
Table tennis—competitive
Tennis—singles
Tennis—doubles
Wheelchair tennis
Golf, wheeling or carrying clubs
––––
Softball—fast pitch or slow pitch
Most competitive sports
Basketball—shooting baskets
Football game
Coaching children’s or adults’ sports
Basketball game
Wheelchair basketball
Soccer
Rugby
Kickball
Field or rollerblade hockey
Lacrosse
Volleyball—competitive Beach volleyball—on sand court
Playing Frisbee
Handball—general or team
Juggling
Racquetball
Curling
Squash
Cricket—batting and bowling
Badminton
Archery (nonhunting)
Fencing
Downhill skiing—with light effort
Downhill skiing—racing or with vigorous effort
Ice skating at a leisurely pace (9 mph or less)
Ice-skating—fast pace or speedskating
Snowmobiling
Cross-country skiing
Ice sailing
Sledding
Tobogganing
Playing ice hockey
Swimming—recreational
Swimming—steady paced laps
Treading water—slowly, moderate effort
Synchronized swimming
Diving—springboard or platform
Treading water—fast, vigorous effort
Aquatic aerobics
Water jogging
Waterskiing
Water polo
Snorkeling
Water basketball
Surfing, board or body
Scuba diving
Canoeing or rowing a boat at less than 4 mph
Canoeing or rowing—4 or more mph
Rafting—whitewater
Kayaking in whitewater rapids
Sailing—recreational or competition
Paddle boating
Kayaking—on a lake, calm water
Washing or waxing a powerboat or the hull of a
sailboat
Fishing while walking along a riverbank or
––––
while wading in a stream—wearing waders
Hunting deer, large or small game
––––
Pheasant and grouse hunting
Hunting with a bow and arrow or crossbow—
walking
Horseback riding—general
Horsebackriding—trotting, galloping,
Saddling or grooming a horse
jumping, or in competition
Playing polo
Playing on school playground equipment,
Running
moving about, swinging, or climbing
Skipping
Playing hopscotch, 4-square, dodgeball, T-ball, Jumping rope
or tetherball
Performing jumping jacks
Skateboarding
Roller-skating or in-line skating—fast pace
Roller-skating or in-line skating—leisurely pace
Playing instruments while actively moving;
Playing a heavy musical instrument while
playing in a marching band; playing guitar or
actively running in a marching band
drums in a rock band
Twirling a baton in a marching band
Singing while actively moving about—as on
stage or in church
Gardening and yard work: raking the lawn,
Gardening and yard work: heavy or rapid
bagging grass or leaves, digging, hoeing, light
shoveling (more than 10 lbs per minute),
shoveling (less than 10 lbs per minute), or
digging ditches, or carrying heavy loads
weeding while standing or bending
Felling trees, carrying large logs, swinging an
Planting trees, trimming shrubs and trees,
ax, hand-splitting logs, or climbing and
hauling branches, stacking wood
trimming trees
Pushing a power lawn mower or tiller
Pushing a nonmotorized lawn mower
Shoveling light snow
Shoveling heavy snow
Moderate housework: scrubbing the floor or
Heavy housework: moving or pushing heavy
bathtub while on hands and knees, hanging
furniture (75 lbs or more), carrying
laundry on a clothesline, sweeping an outdoor
household items weighing 25 lbs or more up
area, cleaning out the garage, washing
a flight or stairs, or shoveling coal into a
windows, moving light furniture, packing or
stove
unpacking boxes, walking and putting
Standing, walking, or walking down a flight of
household items away, carrying out heavy bags stairs while carrying objects weighing 50 lbs
of trash or recyclables (e.g., glass,
or more
newspapers, and plastics), or carrying water or
firewood
General household tasks requiring considerable
effort
Putting groceries away—walking and carrying
Carrying several heavy bags (25 lbs or more)
especially large or heavy items less than 50
of groceries at one time up a flight of stairs
lbs.
Grocery shopping while carrying young
children and pushing a full grocery cart, or
pushing two full grocery carts at once
Actively playing with children—walking,
Vigorously playing with children—running
running, or climbing while playing with children longer distances or playing strenuous games
Walking while carrying a child weighing less
with children
than 50 lbs
Racewalking or jogging while pushing a
Walking while pushing or pulling a child in a
stroller designed for sport use
stroller or an adult in a wheelchair
Carrying an adult or a child weighing 25 lbs
Carrying a child weighing less than 25 lbs up a
or more up a flight of stairs
flight of stairs
Standing or walking while carrying an adult
Child care: handling uncooperative young
or a child weighing 50 lbs or more
children (e.g., chasing, dressing, lifting into car
seat), or handling several young children at
one time
Bathing and dressing an adult
Animal care: shoveling grain, feeding farm
Animal care: forking bales of hay or straw,
animals, or grooming animals
cleaning a barn or stables, or carrying
Playing with or training animals
animals weighing over 50 lbs
Manually milking cows or hooking cows up to
Handling or carrying heavy animal-related
milking machines
equipment or tack
Home repair: cleaning gutters, caulking,
Home repair or construction: very hard
refinishing furniture, sanding floors with a
physical labor, standing or walking while
power sander, or laying or removing carpet or
carrying heavy loads of 50 lbs or more,
tiles
taking loads of 25 lbs or more up a flight of
General home construction work: roofing,
stairs or ladder (e.g., carrying roofing
painting inside or outside of the house, wall
materials onto the roof), or concrete or
papering, scraping, plastering, or remodeling
masonry work
Outdoor carpentry, sawing wood with a power
Hand-sawing hardwoods
saw
Automobile bodywork
Pushing a disabled car
Hand washing and waxing a car
~Occupations that require extended periods of
~Occupations that require extensive periods
walking, pushing or pulling objects weighing les of running, rapid movement, pushing or
than 75 lbs, standing while lifting objects
pulling objects weighing 75 lbs or more,
weighing less than 50 lbs, or carrying objects
standing while lifting heavy objects of 50 lbs
of less than 25 lbs up a flight of stairs
or more, walking while carrying heavy
Tasks frequently requiring moderate effort and objects of 25 lbs or more
considerable use of arms, legs, or occasional
Tasks frequently requiring strenuous effort
total body movements.
and extensive total body movements.
For example:
For example:
• Briskly walking on a level surface while
• Running up a flight of stairs while
carrying a suitcase or load weighing up
carrying a suitcase or load weighing
to 50 lbs
25 lbs or more
• Maid service or cleaning services
• Teaching a class or skill requiring
• Waiting tables or institutional
active and strenuous participation,
dishwashing
such as aerobics or physical education
• Driving or maneuvering heavy vehicles
instructor
(e.g., semi-truck, school bus, tractor, or
• Firefighting
harvester)—not fully automated and
• Masonry and heavy construction work
requiring extensive use of arms and legs
• Coal mining
• Operating heavy power tools (e.g., drills
• Manually shoveling or digging ditches
and jackhammers)
• Using heavy nonpowered tools
• Many homebuilding tasks (e.g. electrical
• Most forestry work
work, plumbing, carpentry, dry wall,
• Farming—forking straw, baling hay,
and painting)
cleaning barn, or poultry work
• Farming—feeding and grooming
• Moving items professionally
animals, milking cows, shoveling grain;
• Loading and unloading a truck
picking fruit from trees, or picking
vegetables
• Packing boxes for shipping or moving
• Assembly-line work—tasks requiring
movement of the entire body, arms or
legs with moderate effort
• Mail carriers—walking while carrying a
mailbag
• Patient care—bathing, dressing, and
moving patients or physical therapy
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of
Nutrition and Physical Activity. Promoting physical activity: a guide for community action. Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetics, 1999. (Table adapted from Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Leon AS, et al. Compendium of
physical activities: classification of energy costs of human physical activities. Medicine and Science in
Sports and Exercise 1993;25(1):71-80. Adapted with technical assistance from Dr. Barbara Ainsworth.)
* The ratio of exercise metabolic rate. One MET is defined as the energy expenditure for sitting
quietly, which, for the average adult, approximates 3.5 ml of oxygen uptake per kilogram of body
weight per minute (1.2 kcal/min for a 70-kg individual). For example, a 2-MET activity requires two
times the metabolic energy expenditure of sitting quietly.
+ For an average person, defined here as 70 kilograms or 154 pounds. The activity intensity levels
portrayed in this chart are most applicable to men aged 30 to 50 years and women aged 20 to 40
years. For older individuals, the classification of activity intensity might be higher. For example, what
is moderate intensity to a 40-year-old man might be vigorous for a man in his 70s. Intensity is a
subjective classification.
Data for this chart were available only for adults. Therefore, when children’s games are listed, the
estimated intensity level is for adults participating in children’s activities.
To compute the amount of time needed to accumulate 150 kcal, do the following calculation: 150 kcal
divided by the MET level of the activity equals the minutes needed to expend 150 kcal. For example:
150 )3 METS = 50 minutes of participation. Generally, activities in the moderate-intensity range
require 25-50 minutes to expend a moderate amount of activity, and activities in the vigorous-
intensity range would require less than 25 minutes to achieve a moderate amount of activity. Each
activity listed is categorized as light, moderate, or vigorous on the basis of current knowledge of the
overall level of intensity required for the average person to engage in it, taking into account brief
periods when the level of intensity required for the activity might increase or decrease considerably.
Persons with disabilities, including motor function limitations (e.g., quadriplegia) may wish to consult
with an exercise physiologist or physical therapist to properly classify the types of physical activities in
which they might participate, including assisted exercise. Certain activities classified in this listing as
moderate might be vigorous for persons who must overcome physical challenges or disabilities.
~Note: Almost every occupation requires some mix of light, moderate, or vigorous activities,
depending on the task at hand. To categorize the activity level of your own position, ask yourself: How
many minutes each working day do I spend doing the types of activities described as light, moderate,
or vigorous? To arrive at a total workday caloric expenditure, multiply the minutes spent doing
activities within each intensity level by the kilocalories corresponding to each level of intensity. Then,
add together the total kilocalories spent doing light, moderate, and vigorous activities to arrive at your
total energy expenditure in a typical day.
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