Physical Activity
- bodily movement that is produced by the contraction of skeletal muscles that substantially increases energy expenditure
Exercise
- a subset of physical activity
- planned structured, repetitive and purposeful in the sense that it results in improvement and maintenance of one or more components of physical fitness
Elements of physical activity and exercise
Physical Fitness
- A set of attributes that are either health or skill related
- the ability to perform muscular work satisfactorily
Sport
- competitive activity undertaken in the context of rules defined by an international regulatory agency
Physical activity is a complex behaviour -> assessing, describing and evaluating physical activity is challenging
Sedentary behaviour
- Any waking activity characterised by an energy expenditure ≤ 1.5 metabolic equivalents (METs) and a sitting or reclining posture.
- Sedentary behaviour ≠ lack of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
- Evolution of definition
- E.g. elite athlete vs childcare worker
- Increasing physical activity ≠ reducing sedentary behaviour
- Assess both physical activity and sedentary behaviour
Complex relationships (PA, SB, fitness and health)
