What happens to your heart rate when you engage in moderate exercise, like jogging? How does this compare to light exercise?

1 answer

When you engage in moderate exercise, such as jogging, your heart rate increases significantly compared to your resting heart rate. This increase occurs because your body requires more oxygen to fuel your muscles during physical activity. In moderate exercise, your heart pumps faster to meet this demand, typically raising your heart rate to about 50-70% of your maximum heart rate.

In contrast, during light exercise, such as walking or gentle stretching, your heart rate also increases, but to a lesser extent. Light exercise usually raises your heart rate to about 40-50% of your maximum heart rate. While there is still an increase, it is more gradual and less pronounced than the response seen during moderate exercise.

Overall, the heart rate response is a reflection of the intensity of the exercise, with moderate activity resulting in a more notable increase in heart rate compared to light activity.