Perceptions of the intensity of specific physical activities in Bangalore, South India: implications for exercise prescription.

OBJECTIVE: To assess perceptions of the intensity of specific physical activities in urban Indians and to determine whether these perceptions are dependent on age, gender, body mass index and actual physical patterns.
METHOD: A self-administered questionnaire in a convenience sample of 782 adults (441 women) aged 17 to 70 years in the city of Bangalore.
RESULTS: Women rated the intensity of carpentry, jogging, manual labour and walking uphill significantly higher than men. These differences persisted when they were adjusted for total daily physical activity levels and levels of discretionary exercise. In contrast, while men rated household activities such as manual washing of clothes and sweeping at higher levels than women, these differences disappeared when they were adjusted for actual levels of daily activity related to household chores. There were clear age-related changes in the perception of intensity of physical activities and these persisted even after adjustment for overall physical activity patterns.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates clear age and gender-related differences in the perception of physical activities. This is important to know while motivating individuals to change physical activity patterns and assumes added importance given the recent evidence that perceived intensity of habitual activity is predictive of coronary heart disease, even at levels of activity that are below standard recommendations.