Are You Being Active or Exercising?

Be a Smarty Pants at The Next Trivia Night With These Two Facts of Life

If you’re not sure of the slight difference between physical activity and exercise, this article is here to give you an edge on how you approach health goals and of course be a smarty pants at the next trivia night.

Vacuuming, gardening, walking, shopping, washing your car as well as leisure activities like golfing, playing kickball in the park with your kids are examples of physical activity. According to the American College of Sports Medicine. physical activity  is defined as any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscles that results in a substantial increase over resting energy expenditure (RER). Simply put, any bodily movement that leads to above rest caloric expenditure and even simpler, anything besides sitting!

 Although physical activity may not be the biggest bang for your buck in terms of burning hundreds of calories, BUT it is a good swap for primarily sedentary activities like TV watching or facebook stalking that hottie you met at the Subway or posting a Missed Connection Ad on CraigsList. Basically, physical activity can provide progressive health benefits and be a strong catalyst for improving health attitudes, health habits, and lifestyle.

On the flip side, exercise is the dreaded term that can motivate or deter participation. But, really, the only difference is a solid,  planned, structured, purpose driven movement session for improvement in one or more components of fitness. If your goal is to improve your body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, or cardiovascular exercise is the prescription for you. Exercise is associated with a results driven goal, and consistency is key in seeing results.

Now step back, look at your life, and ask, am I just being active or do i get down to the Knitty Gritty and Exercise! The more you know!