Show By: Annie Simoneaux, CIS Exercise Physiologist During this pandemic, we all have a little extra time. One of the ways we can utilize this time is doing things that will help increase our physical and mental health. One of the best ways to improve our physical health is exercise. Exercise can improve the health of our heart and lungs, our ability to remember things, reduce our risk for chronic diseases, and provide countless other benefits. However, there are many misconceptions when it comes to getting daily exercise. A lot of people will commonly mistake physical activity for exercise. But, what is the difference you may ask? Exercise vs. Physical ActivityAccording to the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association the following are definitions of physical activity, exercise, and cardiovascular exercise respectively:
The key thing to focus on when trying to determine if something is just physical activity or exercise is to ask ourselves a few questions:
If the answer to both or one of these questions is no, then the activity probably cannot be considered exercise, and is truly physical activity. While if you answered yes to both, then it is most likely considered it exercise. Combining Physical Activity and ExerciseIn our daily lives, we do a lot of physical activity like walking in the grocery store and pushing the cart, gardening, and carrying the laundry basket to the washer. These are common examples, while some examples for exercising are intentionally going for a walk every day, doing a group workout, or even walking your dog. While there are a great number of physical and mental benefits of exercise and physical activity, perhaps the most impactful is the strengthening of the cardiovascular system. Exercise physiologists such as those at Intensive Cardiac Rehab at Cardiovascular Institute of the South can help patients fully reap these benefits by providing detailed exercise instructions that are safe, effective, and based on your individual needs. Click here to learn more about Intensive Cardiac Rehab at Cardiovascular Institute of the South. What is any form of movement that causes your body to use energy?Physical Activity – Any kind of movement that causes the body to use energy. Fitness – The ability to handle the physical work and play of everyday life without becoming tired. Exercise – Physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive and that improves or maintains personal fitness.
What do muscles use for energy during exercise?The source of energy that is used to power the movement of contraction in working muscles is adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – the body's biochemical way to store and transport energy.
What do you call any act of bodily movement which can result in energy consumption?Physical activity can be defined as any movement of the body that requires energy expenditure. This includes any motion you do through the day excluding sitting still or lying down.
What is defined as any body movement?Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure.
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