The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released guidelines for physical activity/exercise in 2008. Before the guidelines are discussed the difference between physical activity and exercise must be clearly defined.
- Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle that increases energy expenditure above a basal (rest) level. This includes personal grooming/hygiene, feeding oneself, standing, walking from a parking lot to the entrance of a building, family care, household chores, occupational requirements, gardening, and so on.
- Exercise is structured physical activity specifically designed to improve one’s cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength/endurance, flexibility and body composition (lean mass/fat mass).
All exercise is physical activity but not all physical activity is exercise.
For recommendations about cardiovascular activity, visit New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery’s blog.
Connect with Us
“Premier Edge” email newsletter: https://www.premiersurgical.com/connect/newsletter
Premier on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/premiersurgical
Premier on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/premiersurgical