Exercise vs. Activity...it's time to start moving
Submitted by
fittowrite on Sun, 04/04/2010 at 2:40pm.
The word "exercise" scares a lot of people. It sounds hard. It reminds people of sweating, and soreness, and general physical discomfort. It sounds like work. And, because no one really likes to work more than they have to, it often gets written off.
Now, I want you to think back 100 years. It's the early 1900s in America. Gyms, essentially, didn't exist. Weight-lifting, cardio machines, and group exercise classes were unheard of. But, most people were reasonably healthy and didn't suffer from obesity-related illnesses. So what was the difference? People were active. They rode horses and bikes, they walked, they prepared their own meals and gardened. They cut their own firewood. They made their own clothes. Everything they did required personal physical activity, despite the absence of modern exercise equipment, and in many ways, they were better off because of it.
Now, I'm not suggesting that everyone start making their own clothes, and I appreciate modern convenience as much as the next person, so what am I getting at? I believe that one of the first steps in getting in-shape and healthy is realizing that you have to move. I'm an advocate for gyms. In fact, I manage one. But I also recognize that gyms aren't for everyone, and I would rather Americans choose an activity they can enjoy and stick with then sign up for a gym membership that they'll never use.
When deciding to get in shape, I first always suggest that a person just. get. active. Take the stairs at work. Wear a pedometer and track the number of steps taken each day. Walk to lunch. Do housework. Garden. These are all forms of physical activity. Then, determine what kind of exercise you enjoy and will actually follow-through on. Do you enjoy walking? Do you enjoy swimming? Would you rather spend time trying new sports or new activities like skiing or kayaking? Whatever you enjoy, schedule it into your life.
As new habits form, and your mental perspective on activity changes, then I would suggest starting to add in weight-bearing activity and stretching.
You see, the true difference between exercise and activity is that exercise is an intentional bout of physical activity with a predetermined goal in mind (i.e., jog on a treadmill for 30 min.), while activity basically encompasses all physical effort engaged in throughout the day. While exercise is always an activity, an activity is not always exercise. The goal, you see, is to change people's perspectives, and teach them to enjoy activity...and as time goes on, teach them to enjoy exercise. While yes, exercise is work, it doesn't have to have a negative connotation.
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