Exercise and physical activity: what is the difference?

Learn the difference between physical activity and exercise and how each movement can contribute to physical fitness.

Physical activity is movement in which the muscles contract. All the activities we do during the day and include the movement - housework, gardening, walking, climbing stairs - are examples of physical activity.

Sport is a specific form of physical activity - planned, purposeful physical activity aimed at achieving fitness or other health benefits, says David Bassett, Jr., PhD, a professor in the Department of Sports, Physical Activity and Leisure at the University of Tennessee , Knoxville. Exercising in a gym, swimming, cycling, running and doing sports like golf and tennis are all forms of exercise.

Physical Activity and Movement: Understand the difference

Most daily physical activity is considered mild to moderately intense. However, there are certain health benefits that can only be achieved with more strenuous physical activity. The improvement of cardiovascular fitness is an example. Jogging or running offers greater cardiovascular benefits than, for example, walking leisurely. In addition, improved fitness depends not only on your physical activity, but also on how intense and how long you continue your activity. For this reason, it is important that you train in cardio training within your target heart rate range, for example, to achieve a certain intensity.

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Physical Activity and Exercise: Understanding Intensity

How can you tell if an activity is considered moderate or intensive? If you can talk while you are doing it, it is moderate. If you have to stop to catch your breath after a few words, this is a hefty affair. Depending on your level of fitness, a game of double tennis is likely to be of moderate intensity, while a game of individual is more intense. Likewise, ballroom dancing would be moderate, but aerobic dancing would be considered powerful. Again, it's not just your choice of activity, it's how much effort it takes.

Physical Activity and Exercise: Components of Physical Fitness

Ideally, an exercise program should include elements to improve each of these components:

• cardiopulmonary endurance. Improve your airway endurance - your ability to work aerobically - through activities such as walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, jumping rope, rowing or cross-country skiing. When you reach distance or intensity goals, reset them higher or switch to another activity to challenge yourself further.

• Muscle strength. You can most effectively increase muscle power by lifting weights, either with free weights such as barbells and dumbbells, or with weight machines.

• muscular endurance. Improve your stamina through gymnastics (strength training), strength training and activities such as running or swimming.

• Flexibility. Increase your flexibility by doing stretching exercises as part of your workout, or by a discipline such as yoga or Pilates, which includes stretching exercises.

While it's possible to treat all these fitness components with a physically active lifestyle, a workout program can help you get even greater benefits.

Increasing physical activity in your daily life is a good place to start - like parking a few blocks from your destination to do some walking. However, to truly achieve your fitness goals, you should include structured, intense activities in your schedule to better meet your fitness and health goals.