If you are cleaning the dried leaves from your backyard is it physical activity or and exercise? When you jog for thirty minutes, three times a week, is it physical activity or an exercise?

                Have you experienced inviting somebody to ride on your car instead of walking going to school and that person declined and says, “it’s okay this is my form of exercise”. More so, hearing somebody saying let’s walk going to the plaza, “it is a good exercise”.

One must learn to know his or her body mechanisms and reactions to activities done. Physical Activity is defined as bodily movements produced by the skeletal muscles that lead to energy expenditure. It includes various activities such as doing household chores and walking. In addition, physical activities can be classified into four domains: occupational, domestic, transportation and leisure time.

The following is the recommended levels of Physical Activity (World Health Organization)

AGE GROUP	PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
children and youth aged 5–17	at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily
Adults aged 18–64	at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity
Adults aged 65 and above	Older adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity

Exercise on the other hand, is a type or sub category of physical activity. Specifically, exercise, according to study by Buckworth and Dishman, is the planned, structured, repetitive bodily movements that someone engages in for the purpose of improving or maintaining physical fitness or health”.

Physical Activity and Exercise are both bodily movements with energy expenditure. It will only be considered exercise like this as an example; You plan to go jogging for 40 minutes a week and on the first and second, you jog in your village or barangay then on the third, you go jogging along the highway.

I encourage the physical education educators and teachers not to use both words interchangeably. Most of all, I encourage everybody to pick any kind of physical activity or an exercise suited for your age group. Choose one that you enjoy doing. Keep moving those muscles!

By: Mayfour B Yadno | MT-II | Battan National High School ,Senior High