How hard should exercise feel?

Gentle exercise should feel like effort, but effort you could keep up while you talk. Here is how the British Heart Foundation and the World Health Organization describe it, and the signs that mean stop.

You should still be able to talk

The British Heart Foundation describes moderate intensity this way: your breathing is faster, but you are "still able to talk" and can keep exercising comfortably.

It may not take much movement to get there, especially at first. The BHF is clear that what matters is how the exercise feels to you, not what someone else can do.

A scale of 0 to 10

The World Health Organization (WHO) also measures effort against your own capacity. On a scale of 0 to 10, it puts moderate intensity at usually a 5 or 6, and vigorous intensity at usually a 7 or 8.

Light activity, in WHO's terms, includes things like slow walking that do not raise your heart rate or breathing much. WHO asks older adults to adjust their effort to their own level of fitness.

Slow down when you need to

The British Heart Foundation suggests starting and finishing each session at a slower pace, so your body can prepare and recover.

If you feel overly breathless or tired, slow down. If you need to, ease down to a pause. Once you feel recovered, restart at a slower pace.

The BHF also notes that heart rate monitors are not always accurate, so how you feel is the best guide. If you want to try exercise where you are breathing hard and fast, it suggests discussing it with a healthcare professional first.

The signs that mean stop

Slowing down is for feeling tired or out of breath. Some signs mean stop altogether. The British Heart Foundation says to stop exercising if you notice any of the signs below, and to seek urgent medical advice if they do not go away quickly with rest.

Chest pain
Palpitations
Dizziness
Light-headedness

How Vaskuna helps you pace it

Vaskuna talks you through each movement. You can pause a session, swap a movement that hurts for a gentler one, or end the session early. After a session it asks how that felt, and a "too hard" makes the next week gentler. The app shows its When to stop page before each of your first three sessions, and you can open it again from the session screen at any time.

If you are unsure whether new exercise is right for you, speak to your doctor before you start.

Questions

Is it normal to feel out of breath?

Breathing faster than usual is expected at moderate intensity, but you should still be able to talk. If you feel overly breathless, the British Heart Foundation advises slowing down or pausing. Chest pain, palpitations, dizziness or light-headedness are different: stop if you notice any of them.

Should I push through when it gets hard?

No. The British Heart Foundation advises slowing down when you feel overly breathless or tired, and restarting at a slower pace once you have recovered. What matters is how the exercise feels to you.

Do I need a heart rate monitor or a watch?

No. The British Heart Foundation notes that heart rate monitors are not always accurate, and that how you feel matters most. Vaskuna does not need a watch or any other device beyond your iPhone.

Sources

World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Geneva: WHO; 2020. Read it
British Heart Foundation. Exercising with a heart condition: finding a safe level for you. Heart Matters. Read it