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Physical Activity Terms
The following lists terms that are commonly used in discussions of
exercise and physical activity.
Calorie
A measure of energy from food. Also the amount of heat required to raise
the temperature of 1 gram of water 1° C (1000 calories = 1 kilocalorie).
An interesting fact: When we see "Calories" on a food label it is
actually measuring kilocalories, although the prefix "-kilo" is
dropped and the "c" is capitalized—"Calories."
Cardiorespiratory fitness
Cardiorespiratory fitness is the ability of the body's circulatory and
respiratory systems to supply fuel during sustained physical activity.
Exercise
Exercise is physical activity that is planned or structured. It involves
repetitive bodily movement done to improve or maintain one or more of the
components of physical fitness—cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular
strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
Household physical activity
Includes activities such as sweeping floors, scrubbing, washing windows,
raking the lawn, etc.
Inactivity
Not engaging in any regular pattern of physical activity beyond daily
functioning.
Kilocalorie
The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water 1°
C. Kilocalorie is the ordinary calorie discussed in food or exercise
energy-expenditure tables and food labels.
Leisure-time physical activity
Leisure-time physical activity is physical activity that is performed
during exercise, recreation, or any additional time other than that
associated with one's regular job duties, occupation, or transportation
Moderate-intensity physical activity
Moderate-intensity physical activity generally requires sustained rhythmic
movements and refers to a level of effort equivalent to
- a "perceived exertion" of 11 to 14 on the Borg
scale
- 3 to 6 metabolic equivalents (METs);
- any activity that burns 3.5 to 7 Calories per minute (kcal/min); or
- the effort a healthy individual might expend while walking briskly,
mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming, or bicycling on level terrain, for
example.
A person should feel some exertion but should be able to carry on a
conversation comfortably during the activity.
Occupational physical activity
Occupational physical activity is completed regularly as part of one's job.
It includes activities such as hauling, lifting, pushing, carpentry,
shoveling, packing boxes, etc.
Physical activity
Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that
results in an expenditure of energy.
Physical fitness
Physical fitness is a measure of a person's ability to perform physical
activities that require endurance, strength, or flexibility and is
determined by a combination of regular activity and genetically inherited
ability.
Regular physical activity
A pattern of physical activity is regular if activities are performed
- most days of the week, preferably daily;
- 5 or more days of the week if moderate-intensity activities are
chosen; or
- 3 or more days of the week if vigorous-intensity activities are
chosen.
Sedentary
In scientific literature, sedentary is often defined in terms of little or
no leisure-time physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle
characterized by little or no physical activity.
Transportation physical activity
Transportation physical activity is gained while moving from one place to
another, usually across a reasonable distance. It includes walking, biking
or wheeling (for wheelchair users), or similar activities used to get to
work, school, place of worship, stores, etc.
Vigorous-intensity physical activity
Vigorous-intensity physical activity generally requires sustained, rhythmic
movements and refers to a level of effort equivalent to
- a "perceived exertion" of 15 or greater on the Borg
scale;
- greater than 6 metabolic equivalents
(METs);
-
any activity that burns more than 7 kcal/ min; or
- the effort a healthy individual might expend while jogging, mowing the
lawn with a nonmotorized pushmower, chopping wood, participating in
high-impact aerobic dancing, swimming continuous laps, or bicycling
uphill, for example.
Vigorous-intensity physical activity may be intense enough to represent
a substantial challenge to an individual and results in a significant
increase in heart and breathing rate.
References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical activity and
health: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 1996.
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