The Definition of
Physical Activity
in its glorious simplicity...
The definition of physical activity
is a simple one, but with all the uproar about
the general lack of physical activity and exercise in today's
society, "authorities" keep changing the definition.
Changing what physical activity means
won't solve the problem of people getting insufficent amounts
of physical activity to maintain and promote health.
That is as rational as saying, "Well,
people don't eat peas. People need to eat
peas for their health. Let's call peas something else, like
chocolate chips!"
You see the absurdity...
The definition of physical activity isn't
open to alteration. It is what it is! So what is
physical activity?
First, let's look at what the word "physical"
means in this context. "Physical" is a
word that describes something as being "of the body
as opposed to the mind." It is derived from
a Greek word, physikos, meaning "pertaining
to nature."
Now for the definition of the word "activity."
Activity is "the state of being active; action;
motion; use of energy." It comes from the
Greek word agein, which means "to do."
Okay, that is pretty straightforward.
We can clearly see that the definition
of physical activity is simply "action of the body."
The definition of physical activity doesn't
have anything to do with how much or what kind of action.
It just means "action of the body."
Altering the definition of physical
activity does not solve the problem of a majority of the
population being sedentary. It's like trying to
disguise a pea as a chocolate chip - it's a "solution"
to an incorrectly identified problem!
The problem seems to be how to
motivate more of the population to engage in physical activity.
The general lack of physical activity and exercise on such
a broad basis leads to widespread health problems.
No doubt you've heard about the "obesity
epidemic" and the "epidemic of diabetes..."
These health issues have reached a level that is negatively
impacting the economy and the quality of life by decreased
productivity and escalating medical costs, for example.
Since the subject of this article is the
definition of physical activity, I realize that I'm digressing
a little. I'll make one more observation on this issue of
changing the meaning of physical activity and then we'll
move on.
Government agencies have contributed to
altering the definition of physical activity in an effort
to solve the above problem. But that leads me to question
why the government is involved with trying to solve this
particular problem (a primarily sedentary population) in
the first place.
For one thing, getting sufficient
physical activity to maintain one's health is a personal
issue, not one that can be improved by broad governmental
decrees or playing Scrabble with definitions.
I sure would like to see these government
agencies spending their time and our money effectively regulating
all the propaganda and false advertising of foods, drugs
and environmental toxins or providing education on nutrition
and physical activity, not only in public schools but to
the medical profession.
These are some of the actual problems
affecting the health of this country. I'll leave you with
that thought to chew on!
Physical activity and health
When we're discussing physical
activity in relationship to health, we can then discuss
the quantity and type of physical activity.
Perhaps you're wondering how "exercise"
fits into all of this. The definition of exercise
is "physical activity that is focused on improving
the performance of a certain part of the body."
This difference is clarified in the article on Exercise
Information.
Think of engaging in physical
activity on an increasing gradient scale. At the
lowest level would be a level of very little to no action.
At the higher end of the scale would be intense physical
activity. Here's an illustration to assist in visualizing
this concept:
You can begin improving your level
of health and fitness by simply increasing the amount of
physical activity you blend into your routine, even if it's
just a little more to start.
Even "a little bit more" physical
activity, done on a regular basis, will gradually improve
your strength and stamina.
Now that we have a stable definition
of physical activity, let's get some examples.
I'll start.
Examples of physical activity - "action
of the body"
- Playing with your pet
- A nice stroll around the neighborhood
- Doing some yard work
- Going to the beach and walking around
on a pier
- Dancing to some of your favorite music
Can you give some examples of
physical activity? What kinds of physical activity do you
enjoy?
Hopefully this definition of physical
activity and the information on this page has helped clear
up any confusion on how simple increasing the level of physical
activity can be. And that it should be enjoyable!
Cheers!
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