Many of us are under the impression that "exercise" and "physical activity" mean the same. While exercise is a form of physical activity, all physical activities cannot be called exercise. Both these activities are voluntary activities that help you burn calories. If you are physically active, it just means that you go about doing your regular chores. You cook, keep your house spic and span, you walk the dog, and generally are not lazy or bedridden.
Exercise is a more structured physical activity that involves many repetitive movements that works out a particular muscle group or groups at a time. It could be muscle training, yoga, or tai chi. It is a planned, purposeful activity that is aimed at improving your endurance, agility, speed, and strength.
Physical activities are common to a person but the amount of physical activity done varies from person to person. This decides how much active the person is. But in order to gain specific benefits, one should decide what kind of physical activity and in what dimensions are required for it. Hence, exercise play an important role in deciding the intensity, frequency and duration of that particular physical activity. A target is important to achieve the desired benefits.
Physical activity can improve the health and well-being of a person but will not provide the additional health benefits such as cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, flexibility, muscular strength etc.
Whether your goal is muscle building or losing weight, you need to plan your exercise program in such a way that it improves your cardiopulmonary endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility slowly but steadily. Let us look at each of these separately.
- Cardiorespiratory Endurance: This is also called aerobic power. This is the ability of the body to perform rigorous exercises without "huffing and puffing." As you progress in your exercise program, you will find that you huff and puff lesser and lesser. Aerobic activities like brisk walking, running, swimming, and cycling are good exercises to increase endurance.
- Muscular Strength: To increase your muscular strength, you need to work on weights. A lot of caution has to be exercised in this activity. You need to start with the smallest weight and then progressively increase it over a period of time. Remember, Arnold Schwarzenegger was also once a baby....I mean, he would have also started with the smallest weight. If you injure yourself, the whole exercise will become counterproductive. Haven't you heard, slow and steady wins the race?
- Muscular Endurance: Endurance is not the same as strength. Endurance is the duration you can hold on to an activity of a particular intensity. Swimming, running, and calisthenics are considered to be the best exercises for increasing your muscular endurance.
- Flexibility: Flexibility is the extent to which you can stretch or bend your body. Yoga and stretching exercises are very good options for increasing your flexibility. Stretching before and after any exercise regimen helps minimize exercise-related injuries.
Getting Started on an Exercise Regimen
Before you embark on a rigorous exercise regimen, it is advisable to consult a physician. Also, if your budget permits, it would be a great idea to take the services of a personal trainer. A combination of physical activity and exercise regimen along with a healthy diet will work wonders on your health.
Benefits of Being Physically Active and Exercising
- Reduces the risk of developing health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and even arthritis.
- Relaxes the mind and revitalizes the body.
- Acts as a break from your daily mundane activities.
- Increases the secretion of "feel-good hormones" and decreases stress.
If you are one of those people who don't like going to the gym, you could try something like dance, which is also a fantastic way to improve your strength and endurance while enjoying the activity thoroughly. As is with any other exercise regimen, take care to start and progress slowly and steadily and do it regularly.
