What is exercise and how do we define it?
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Formal definitions:
Exercise – activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness. Exercise – a planned, structured, and repetitive activity for the purpose of improving or maintain physical fitness.
Exercise is a form of physical activity and ‘physical activity’ can be defined as any movement of the body that requires energy expenditure (this energy expenditure is usually measured in kilocalories). This includes any movement through the day, excluding sitting still or lying down. For example, walking to class, taking the stairs, mowing the lawn, and even cleaning your house can be considered physical activity. Exercise is a type of physical activity, but not every physical activity is exercise.
In this topic we focus on exercise, but also include other areas of physical activity, as pretty much any type of physical activity will have benefits to us and should therefore also be encouraged and discussed. Unfortunately there is a growing trend of people doing less and less exercise and being less and less physically active, not just in the UK but across the world.
Physical inactivity is now identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, causing an estimated 3.2 million deaths globally (approx 6%) according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). This follows high blood pressure (13%), tobacco use (9%) and high blood glucose (6%). Overweight and obesity are responsible for 5% of global mortality. Physical inactivity levels are rising in many countries, with major implications for the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the general health of the population worldwide.
Lord Sebastian Coe, who was head of the LoNdOn Olympics and Paralympics, has
said:
‘Turning the tide of inactivity would be a hugely important outcome for our legacy story, which would have a massive long-term impact on our nation’s health and wellbeing. Supporting people that do little or no daily activity to become a bit more active is where the biggest public health gains can be made and the maximum financial returns on public investment attained. Turning the tide of physical inactivity must be viewed as a national priority.’
A few facts
From Public Health England from their Everybody Active, Every Day campaign (2014)
Exercise – activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness. Exercise – a planned, structured, and repetitive activity for the purpose of improving or maintain physical fitness.
Exercise is a form of physical activity and ‘physical activity’ can be defined as any movement of the body that requires energy expenditure (this energy expenditure is usually measured in kilocalories). This includes any movement through the day, excluding sitting still or lying down. For example, walking to class, taking the stairs, mowing the lawn, and even cleaning your house can be considered physical activity. Exercise is a type of physical activity, but not every physical activity is exercise.
In this topic we focus on exercise, but also include other areas of physical activity, as pretty much any type of physical activity will have benefits to us and should therefore also be encouraged and discussed. Unfortunately there is a growing trend of people doing less and less exercise and being less and less physically active, not just in the UK but across the world.
Physical inactivity is now identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, causing an estimated 3.2 million deaths globally (approx 6%) according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). This follows high blood pressure (13%), tobacco use (9%) and high blood glucose (6%). Overweight and obesity are responsible for 5% of global mortality. Physical inactivity levels are rising in many countries, with major implications for the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the general health of the population worldwide.
Lord Sebastian Coe, who was head of the LoNdOn Olympics and Paralympics, has
said:
 |
| What is exercise |
A few facts
From Public Health England from their Everybody Active, Every Day campaign (2014)
- More than 1 in 17 adults in the UK are living with diabetes. Being active can reduce the risk of developing this illness by 30-40%.
- If being active was a pill we would be rushing to prescribe it. Physical activity is essential for health and reduces the risk of many preventable diseases and conditions from cancer to depression.
- Physical inactivity is responsible for 1 in 6 deaths in the UK, making it as dangerous as smoking. But over 1 in 4 of us take less than 30 minutes of physical activity each week.
- Inactive people have three times the rate of moderate to severe depression compared to active people. Being active is central to our mental health and feelings of general wellbeing.
- The estimated cost to the UK every year of physical inactivity is £ 7.4bn.
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