TABLE I.

INTENSITY LEVELS FOR ACTIVITIES IN THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HISTORY AND ILLUSTRATION OF SCORING ALGORITHM

		Intensity (mets/minute)†	Cutpoint for frequent participation (hours/week)
Heavy Intensity Activities
A. Jog or run		8	2
B. Vigorous racket sports		8	3
C. Bicycle faster than 10 miles per hour		6	2
D. Swimming		6	2
E. Vigorous exercise class or vigorous dancing		6	3
F. Non-job activity such as shoveling, weight-lifting and moving heavy objects		6	3
G. Vigorous job activity such as lifting, carrying or digging		5	5
H. Other strenuous sports such as basketball, football, skating, skiing		8	3
Moderate Intensity Activities
I. Other non-strenuous sports such as softball, shooting baskets, volleyball, ping-pong		4	3
J. Take walks or hikes or walk to work		4	4
K. Bowling or golf		3	3
L. Home exercises, calisthenics		4	3
M. Home maintenance and gardening, including carpentry, painting, raking, mowing		4	5
Activities of a hypothetical individual
Weight lifting	<3 hours/week for 2 months and ≥3 hours/week for 1 month
Golf	<3 hours/week for 3 months
Take walks	<4 hours/week for 6 months and ≥4 hours/week for 6 months
Score = Sum over (moderate, heavy or all) activities of: intensity × (number of months of infrequent activity +3 × number of months of frequent activity)
Moderate score: 4 × (6 + 3 × 6) for walks + 3 × (3 + 0) for golf = 105
Heavy score: 6 × (2 + 3 × 1) for weight lifting = 30
Total score: 105 + 30 = 135 Exercise Units

^†Approximately equal to kilocalories for a 70 kg man.