Why is gardening considered light-intensity physical activity?

• A. It requires movement, but does not increase the heart rate.
• B. It increases the heart rate, but involves a low level of movement.
• C. The tasks involved cannot be performed to the point of fatigue.
• D. It involves movement performed in short bursts with periods of inactivity in between.

Answer: (A)

Light-intensity physical activity means you’re moving enough to be active, but your heart rate doesn’t rise significantly and you can talk in full sentences without getting out of breath. Gardening often involves gentle, steady movement—moving around, bending, kneeling, small actions like pruning or weeding—but when done at a leisurely pace, it keeps your cardiovascular effort low. That combination of movement with little heart-rate increase is what fits light intensity best. The other descriptions describe scenarios with more noticeable heart-rate changes, very little movement, or activity that comes in bursts with rest, which aren’t characteristic of light-intensity gardening.