Examples of sedentary, moderate and vigorous intensity physical activities
| Activity level | Age-adjusted metabolic equivalent (MET)* | Examples10 |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary | 1.0–1.5 | Lying, sitting, watching TV, playing video games |
| Moderate | 3.0–5.9 | Bike riding and playground activities. These activities will cause children to get warmer and breathe harder and their hearts to beat faster, but they should still be able to carry on a conversation |
| Vigorous | 6.0–8.9 | Fast running and swimming. These activities will cause children to get warmer, breathe much harder and their hearts to beat rapidly, making it more difficult to carry on a conversation |
*MET, metabolic equivalent; 1 MET is defined as the energy expenditure of sitting quietly, equivalent in children to a resting oxygen intake of ∼6 mL/kg/min.11