Team University of Dayton Engineering & Safety Lab No. 17: How hard are you Working?

The amount of effort you need to do an activity will depend on your fitness level, strength, and how active you’ve been. For example, walking a mile in 15 minutes will be a lot easier for someone who does it every day compared with someone who has never done it. You can use these informal guidelines to estimate how much effort you are putting into your endurance activities:


• Brisk walking is a moderate activity, while jogging is a vigorous activity.

• Talking is easy during moderate activity but difficult during vigorous activity.

• If you tend to sweat, you probably won’t sweat during light activity. You will sweat during vigorous or sustained moderate activity. Remember to drink fluids even if you don’t sweat.

One doctor who specializes in exercise for older adults tells her patients the following: “If you can’t talk while you’re exercising, it’s too difficult. If you can sing a song, it’s too easy