There's good evidence that vigorous activity can bring health benefits over and above that of moderate activity.
Examples of activities that require vigorous effort for most people include:
- jogging or running
- swimming fast
- riding a bike fast or on hills
- singles tennis
- football
- rugby
- skipping rope
- hockey
- aerobics
- gymnastics
- martial arts
Vigorous activity makes you breathe hard and fast. If you're working at this level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
In general, 75 minutes of vigorous activity can give similar health benefits to 150 minutes of moderate activity.
For a moderate to vigorous workout, try Couch to 5K a 9-week running plan for beginners.