“150 minutes of moderate activity a week” is a familiar line, but how do you know whether what you are doing counts as moderate? The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sets out three equipment-free yardsticks — the talk test, METs and perceived exertion (0–10). We read them alongside the World Health Organization’s weekly recommendations and worked them into weekly plans.
1. If you can talk but not sing, it is moderate. If you cannot say more than a few words without pausing for breath, it is vigorous (CDC talk test).
2. An effort of 5–6 out of 10 is moderate, 7–8 vigorous. In METs, moderate is 3 to 5.9 and vigorous 6 or more.
3. 150 minutes moderate, 75 minutes vigorous, or a mix, each week. From the 150:75 ratio in WHO’s recommendation, 1 vigorous minute counts as 2 moderate minutes (our arithmetic). Muscle strengthening on 2 or more days is separate.
Three yardsticks — CDC
| Yardstick | Moderate | Vigorous |
|---|---|---|
| Talk test | Can talk but not sing | Cannot say more than a few words without pausing for breath |
| MET (sitting quietly = 1) | 3 to 5.9 METs | 6.0 METs or more |
| Perceived exertion (0–10) | 5 or 6 | 7 or 8 |
One MET is the energy used while sitting quietly, so 3 METs is three times that. On the exertion scale, 0 is the effort of sitting and 10 is maximal effort.
Which activity goes where — CDC examples
| Activity | Moderate example | Vigorous example |
|---|---|---|
| Walking and running | Brisk walking (2.5 mph ≈ 4 km/h or faster) | Jogging |
| Cycling | Under 10 mph (≈ 16 km/h) | Over 10 mph (≈ 16 km/h) |
| Swimming | Recreational swimming | Swimming laps |
| Tennis | Doubles | Singles |
| Other | Yoga · dancing · yard work | Vigorous dancing · jumping rope · heavy shovelling |
The mile-to-kilometre conversions (1 mile = 1.609 km) are ours. The same activity feels different from person to person, so the talk test is closer to your own body than the table.
Weekly amounts — WHO
| Group | Aerobic | Other |
|---|---|---|
| 18–64 | At least 150 minutes moderate or 75 minutes vigorous, or an equivalent combination · 300 moderate minutes for more benefit | Muscle strengthening of major groups on 2 or more days |
| 65 and over | The same (150 · 75 · 300 minutes) | Strength 2+ days · balance and fall prevention on 3 or more days |
Filling a week — worked plans
WHO says only “an equivalent combination.” Since 150 and 75 minutes are the same target, counting 1 vigorous minute as 2 moderate minutes gives the following (our arithmetic).
| Plan | Moderate-equivalent | Reaches 150? |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk walking 30 min × 5 days | 150 minutes | Yes |
| Jogging 25 min × 3 days | 75 × 2 = 150 minutes | Yes |
| Jogging 20 min × 2 days + walking 40 min × 2 days | 80 + 80 = 160 minutes | Yes |
| Walking 20 min × 5 days | 100 minutes | 50 minutes short |
The plans and conversions are examples. Strength training on 2 days is counted separately from these minutes. Use the talk test while walking to check you are at a pace where singing is not possible — a leisurely stroll may not reach the moderate band.
Checklist
- ☐ Say a sentence mid-exercise — if you can, it is at least moderate; if you can sing, it is too easy
- ☐ Effort 5–6 is moderate, 7–8 vigorous
- ☐ Count 1 vigorous minute as 2 moderate minutes for the weekly total
- ☐ Strength training on 2 days is separate — home workout basics
To read intensity by heart rate, there’s a calculator using the AHA’s 220-minus-age estimate (target heart rate calculator).
Calories used by activity are in calories burned by activity.
Sample weeks and a 150-minute checker are in weekly activity checker.
Questions that remain
Can I use heart rate instead?
At the time of writing, CDC’s intensity page (updated December 2025) lists the talk test, METs and perceived exertion. We did not cover heart-rate formulas here. If you have a medical condition or take medication, agree exercise intensity with your doctor first.
Can I split it into 10-minute sessions?
WHO’s recommendation is a weekly total “throughout the week.” We worked through splitting sessions in quiet home cardio.
Want to build up running from scratch? The NHS Couch to 5K goes from 1-minute runs to 30 minutes non-stop in 9 weeks, three times a week (Couch to 5K running plan).
Children have a different benchmark — WHO recommends 60 minutes daily at 5–17 and 180 minutes a day at 1–4 (how much exercise children need).
Why move at that intensity: the NHS says regular physical activity can lower the risk of early death by up to 30% and lists 10 conditions with lower risk (benefits of exercise).
In pregnancy the measure is still 150 minutes of moderate activity a week — the cautions WHO adds are in exercise during pregnancy.
Sources
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Measuring Physical Activity Intensity (updated 4 December 2025, checked 30 September 2026). Source for the talk test, 3–5.9 and 6+ METs, exertion 5–6 and 7–8, and the activity examples.
- World Health Organization (WHO) — Physical activity (Be Healthy). Source for 150, 75 and 300 minutes for ages 18–64 and 65+, strength on 2 days and balance on 3 days.
- Our own working. Mile-kilometre conversions, “1 vigorous minute = 2 moderate minutes” and the weekly plans are our arithmetic.
Where to check further
- Daily steps — daily steps.
- Fitness tests and exercise prescriptions — National Fitness 100 certification centres.
Written on 30 September 2026. We quoted the agencies’ own texts; the tables and arithmetic are ours.
