50+ Lifestyles

Low Intensity Exercise Does Not Bring Low Results

By Logan Anderson, BA, CPT, CIFT
Owner of All Strong Fitness LLC

What does it mean to complete a workout? Does a workout have to be filled with lots of sweat, a hard mental push to become your best self, and a feelling of “I just completed a hard workout?” Unfortunately, this idea that a workout always needs to be something that is inherently difficult and hard is something that I believe society puts into our heads. In a world where constantly working hard and doing more is deemed as a positive character trait, this same mindset often goes hand in hand with working out. The one who is pushing themselves in their workouts, consistently working at a high intensity, may seem like the one who is “doing fitness right.” This notion leaves a large hole in what individuals can do when it comes to physical activity. Participating in low intensity exercise offers many benefits both physically and mentally, and should not be discounted when thinking about what types of exercise you can do.

When it comes to different difficulties of exercise, I like to separate them into three categories. Although we are separating them, there isn’t a distinct cut off in what defines a low intensity exercise vs. a high intensity exercise. Rather, it is mainly measured by how the individual feels during that specific mode. Regardless, we will start with low intensity exercise. An example of low intensity exercise could be a light, leisurely walk. Low intensity exercise could be described as having a difficulty of 3-5 on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the highest intensity one can complete.) Another way to measure your intensity is through the talk test. For a low intensity exercise, you should be able to hold a steady conversation with minimal interference of your breathing. When looking at moderate intensity exercise, this would usually be exercise that ranges from a scale of 6-8 on our scale of 1-10. Moderate intensity exercise puts us at a level where we should still be able to hold a conversation, but might have intermittent breaths disrupting the flow of our sentences. High intensity exercise is exactly what it sounds like. High intensity puts your breathing past the point of holding a conversation and at a level of 9+ difficulty on our scale of 1-10.

When looking at the intensities, it may seem that working harder would be the better way to go. Although I would never discourage someone from doing high intensity exercise if they are conditioned for it, I do think that the benefits of low intensity exercise often get glossed over. Low-medium intensity exercise is often easier for an individual to participate in, which improves the likelihood that you will enjoy the exercise and consistently participate in it. In addition, low-moderate intensity exercise will rarely make you feel exhausted after a workout, minimizing soreness of your body and maximizing your ability to recover for your next workout. Low intensity exercise is a way for you to embrace and enjoy moving your body, without feeling like you need to always push yourself. Ideally, an exercise program would have both high intensity and low intensity exercise, simply because the real world demands us to work hard at some point. Regardless, remember that any exercise is better than no exercise. Start with low intensity, and build up if you want a challenge. Listen to your body, and be okay with taking it easier if you aren’t feeling 100%. Try incorporating some of this type of activity next time you plan on working out. You simply won’t regret it!