Learn what moderate intensity exercise means

Do you wind up your exercise session soon after you get a bit tired thinking that you have had enough?

You may not be alone as researchers have found that many people tend to overrate how hard they work out or underestimate what moderate intensity exercise means.

"The findings suggest that majority of people underestimate the intensity of physical activity that is required to achieve health benefits," said Jennifer Kuk, professor at York University in Canada.

The 129 sedentary adults, aged between 18-64, who were recruited for the study, correctly estimated physical activities of light effort but underestimated moderate and vigorous effort, even after being given commonly used exercise intensity descriptors.

"For adults to achieve a moderate intensity workout, their heart rates should be within the range of 64-76 percent of their maximum heart rate and between 77-83 percent for vigorous intensity workout," according to the Canadian and global physical activity guidelines.

The study appeared in the journal PLOS ONE.