World Physical Activity Day | The difference between Physical Activity and Physical Exercise

Opinion article by Daniel Galindo, Director of the Department of Experience & Innovation from VivaGym, a gym chain group premium low cost Fitness Hut.

Today’s society is more fast-paced than ever and many people say they don’t have time for basic activities, like getting enough sleep or having hobbies, and are unable to balance work with a healthy and active lifestyle. Within the scope of World Physical Activity Daywhich is highlighted in the next April 6th, It is important to highlight the difference between two terms that are often confused: physical activity and physical exercise.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “for an adult, between 18 and 64 years old, between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week are recommended, or at least 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both throughout the week for significant health benefits.”. Despite this, only 27.5% of adults and 81% of adolescents comply with these recommendations.

It is very important to recognize that all types of activation are good, and this is where we find the difference between activity and physical exercise. Activity refers to all the actions that put our body to work, so that our muscles and joints work naturally. Therefore, within physical activity we find tasks such as walking to work, choosing the elevator instead of the stairs, dancing to our favorite music. In short, any action that can contribute, even if minimally, to health in the medium and long term.

On the other hand, we refer to physical exercise when there is planning, intensity, repetition and choice of exercises to be performed, which guarantee lasting results. Physical exercise, like physical activity, also takes the form of different actions, such as playing a sport with friends, going for a run or going to a sports center. In this case, the decision to enter the world of physical exercise brings with it changes at a physiological level, but also at a mental level, such as better sleep, pain relief, better resistance to effort, greater ability to concentrate, among others.

Physical activity is all movements that involve the functioning of muscles, while physical exercise is planned and repetitive activities that are organized with the aim of improving the functioning of the body. Therefore, the key to success in achieving a healthy lifestyle lies in the combination of physical activity, trying to change our habits to ones that are more beneficial for health and dedicating at least two hours a week to physical exercise. .

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