What is the difference? What are the
benefits? What should I do? How can I
make sure that I am doing what by body
needs? This is where I come in! Let’s dig
into this so we can formulate the best plan
for your health and fitness.
The terms, ‘physical activity’ and ‘exercise’ are often used interchangeably, but surprisingly, have different definitions. You are probably wondering, what are the
differences? There are many distinctions between the two, but they lie mostly in intention. Let’s explore the characteristics of each type of activity and the recommended dosage for healthy adults.
Physical Activity
If you could select one parameter of your life to change that would improve your health the most, this would probably be it. According to the National Institute of Health, physical activity is defined as any movement that works your skeletal
muscles and requires more energy than a rested state. Translation: anything that moves your body and uses energy. Activities like walking, running, and weight lifting are a few examples of physical activity. Other activities that are
classified as physical activity include gardening, vacuuming, and carrying groceries into your home. All of these things work to strengthen your muscles and bones and establish greater efficiency in your heart, lungs and other organs,
just to name a few benefits. The greatest benefit of physical activity is that it greatly decreases your risk of falling victim to several disease states, including reducing your risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke, or cancer. Regular physical activity also decreases your chances of being diagnosed with coronary heart disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and low bow density. If you have already been diagnosed with any of the above ailments, regular physical activity has been proven to serve as treatment and symptom reduction. When you think ‘physical activity’, think of your health. If you are looking for a cure-all medicine that is safe for you to take your whole life, this is it.
Exercise
For those of you who are wondering where exercise fits in, here it is. As I stated earlier, the difference between exercise and physical activity lies in intention. Exercise is defined as physical activity that is planned and structured with the intention of improving health, fitness, or performance. So, all exercise is physical activity, but not all physical activity is exercise. Lifting weights, going for a run, and taking a boxing class are classified as exercise because it is your intention to
exercise. If your dog gets off it’s leash and you end up chasing it around the block, we would call that physical activity, but not exercise. It was not your intent to
run swiftly around the block, but you did it because your life demanded that physical exertion. The distinction is fuzzy sometimes, but the bottom line is that the more physically active you are, the better your health has the potential to be
(to an extent). It is possible to overtrain, but the vast majority of Americans are on the opposite side of the spectrum and are drastically under-training. What is the right amount for you? Lets explore.
The Bottom Line
Physical activity is anything that makes your body do work. Just like anything
else, the more you use your body in a certain way, the more it gets used to it, so things get easier. As the cliché phrase goes, “use it or lose it!” In this case, if you don’t actively use your body, it will decline. That is the case for strength exercises, cardio exercises, balance, and flexibility. I think everybody knows the feeling of being winded by the time you get to the top of the stairs. But, if you go up the stairs every day, it doesn’t affect you quite so much. Think about exercise tolerance like alcohol tolerance, the more you do it, the less of an effect exercise (or alcohol) has on your body. So, what should you do so that your body doesn’t decline? Depends on your age, exercise history, and other factors but there are general guidelines we should all do our best to follow.
Activity Recommendations for
Healthy Adults (18-64 years old)
150 minutes of moderate
activity/week
OR
75 minutes of vigorous
activity/week
Strength training 2-5 days/week
Cardio training in bouts of at least
10 minutes at a time, at least 3 days
per week
Something is always better than
nothing; benefits are shown in as little
as 60 minutes of activity/week
For even more health benefits, 300
minutes of moderate activity OR 150
minutes of vigorous activity (or some
combination of both) is recommended
Moderate Activity: You can speak in
partial sentences without labored
breathing
Vigorous Activity: You are breathing
too heavily to speak more than one or
two words at a time
Activity Recommendations for
Healthy Older Adults (65+)
If previously active and doctor has deemed safety of vigorous activity,
activity recommendations are the same for healthy adults (18-64) If previously inactive, avoid vigorous activity until gradually worked up to over time
Balance training 2-5 days/week
Pre-natal and Postpartum Women
If previously active and doctor has deemed safety of vigorous activity,
activity recommendations are the same for healthy adults
If previously inactive, do at least
150 minutes of moderate
activity/week
After first trimester, don’t do
exercises laying flat on back
Don’t participate in activities where
you may fall and hurt yourself
(contact sports, skiing, horseback
riding, etc.)
Comments