What is the Difference Between Exercise and Physical Activity?

The main difference between exercise and physical activity lies in their definitions and purposes. Here are the key distinctions:

• Physical Activity: Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. It is a broad term that encompasses various activities, such as occupational, sports, conditioning, household, or other activities. Examples include walking to the grocery store, pushing a cart, gardening, and carrying laundry.
• Exercise: A subcategory of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and purposefully focused on improving or maintaining one or more components of physical fitness. Exercise is intended to increase physical fitness and can be further classified into different types, such as aerobic exercise and resistance training. Examples include intentionally going for a walk every day, participating in a group workout, or walking your dog.

In summary, physical activity refers to any movement that requires energy, while exercise is a specific type of physical activity that is planned and structured to improve or maintain physical fitness.

Comparative Table: Exercise vs Physical Activity

The main difference between exercise and physical activity lies in their definitions and objectives. Here is a table summarizing the differences:

Exercise is a subset of physical activity, specifically designed to improve or maintain physical fitness, which consists of five components: cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength fitness, muscular endurance fitness, flexibility fitness, and body composition. On the other hand, physical activity encompasses all forms of bodily movement, including exercise, household chores, and occupational activities. In summary, exercise is a planned and structured form of physical activity aimed at improving or maintaining fitness, while physical activity is any movement carried out by the muscles that require energy.