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More and more people are aware of the importance of leading an active lifestyle to take care of their health, improve their well-being and extend life expectancy. It is no coincidence that 26.5% of Spaniards over the age of 15 do physical exercise regularly in their spare time, according to the 2020 European Health Survey. However, many people still do not know the difference between physical activity and physical exercise, using the two concepts interchangeably.
If you are considering doing a Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences or a Master High Performance Sport, you will surely be interested in fully understanding the differences.
The World Health Organisation defines physical activity as “any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles, with the consequent consumption of energy”. Therefore, walking, taking our pet for a walk, organising and cleaning the house, shopping, cooking or cycling to work are some examples of physical activity that we usually do with some frequency.
Physical exercise is a planned and structured physical activity, generally of a repetitive nature, which is carried out with the aim of improving the physiological condition by enhancing some specific abilities, such as strength, resistance, speed or flexibility. Strength training at the gym, jogging, swimming or fitness are some examples of physical exercise.
Both physical activity and exercise are beneficial because they help prevent and control different health problems, from heart disease and stroke to diabetes or various types of cancer. They also help prevent hypertension, maintain a healthy body weight, and improve mental health and quality of life. However, they are not the same.
We all do physical activity on a daily basis because every task that involves moving and generates energy expenditure can be classified within that category. However, physical exercise is a programmed activity in which mobility and intensity are increased, which leads to greater energy expenditure in order to improve the functioning of the human body.
Consequently, we all do physical activity, but only some do physical exercise. A person usually performs different physical activities throughout the day- Going for a walk, taking the stairs instead of using the elevator or keeping moving with household chores is beneficial for health, but physical exercise brings something more as it allows you to preserve and perfect physical capacities that are not developed at the same level only with physical activity.
In fact, physical activity is usually spontaneous, but the practice of physical exercise requires some preparation. It has to be well planned and must respond to specific objectives, needs and characteristics. For example, to perform physical exercise we must choose the most appropriate type of exercise to achieve the goals we have set ourselves, as well as its frequency and intensity, the time per session and the program that will allow us to progress.
For this reason, to do physical exercise it is convenient to have the advice of specialists who have the necessary knowledge to design a personalised exercise program that takes into account both our preferences when training and physical aptitudes or possible pathologies. With their help, we will not only be able to get the most out of the training sessions, but we will also avoid possible injuries due to overload or poorly executed movements.