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2: Exercise, Physical Activity, and Sleep

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    Learning Outcomes

    By the end of this chapter you will be able to:

    • Describe the difference between Physical Activity, Exercise, and Physical Fitness.
    • Explain the importance of physical activity and exercise for health.
    • Identify ways to increase daily physical activity.
    • Apply the components of the FITT principle to exercise program design.
    • Calculate Target Heart Rate Zone.
    • Recognize the importance of sleep.

    How much of your day do you spend awake versus asleep?

    Of your awake time, how much of your day is spent being active versus inactive?

    Of the time you spend being active, how much of that time is your heart rate elevated?

    How much of your day do you spend strengthening your muscles or stretching?

    This chapter is focused on the time of the day you spend active versus inactive, specifically focusing on your physical activity, exercise, physical fitness, and sleep.

    • 2.1: Physical activity, exercise, and Physical Fitness
      This page explains the differences between physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness. Physical activity encompasses all movements that increase energy expenditure, while exercise is a structured endeavor to enhance fitness. Physical fitness indicates the capacity to perform daily tasks effectively and is cultivated through targeted exercises. The page encourages readers to reflect on their own levels of physical activity and fitness routines.
    • 2.2: Health benefits of physical activity and exercise
      This page emphasizes the importance of physical activity for health improvement at all life stages. It highlights benefits such as enhanced bone health and cognitive function in children, disease risk reduction, and better mental health in adults and older adults. Regular activity is advised, with 150-300 minutes of moderate exercise weekly deemed optimal.
    • 2.3: Increase both Physical Activity and Physical Fitness
      This page highlights the need to minimize sedentary behavior by increasing daily physical activity. It suggests journaling movement patterns to find chances for more activity and offers strategies like walking instead of driving and doing household chores. The content emphasizes the benefits of physical activity on fitness and health outcomes, reinforcing that any movement can enhance overall well-being.
    • 2.4: Develop an Exercise Program to Build Your Physical Fitness
      This page emphasizes the importance of an individualized exercise program for maintaining physical fitness, highlighting both health-related (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, flexibility) and skill-related components (balance, speed). It recommends 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly and twice-weekly muscle-strengthening exercises. Key principles of training (overload, progression, specificity) and the F.I.T.T.
    • 2.5: Guidance for your current level of physical activity
      This page outlines physical activity levels—inactive, insufficiently active, active, and highly active—alongside their health benefits. It underscores reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity gradually, noting that even small changes are beneficial. Safety guidelines recommend consulting healthcare professionals for those with health issues and emphasize the importance of warm-up and cool-down practices to prevent injuries.
    • 2.6: The Importance of Sleep
      This page highlights the critical role of sleep in health, noting that around one-third of adults do not get enough sleep, which can lead to serious health problems. It underscores the importance of both the quality and quantity of sleep, recommending at least 7 hours per night. The page details the phases of sleep, especially REM sleep's significance for brain function and health, while discussing potential disruptions from disorders like insomnia.
    • 2.7: End-of-Chapter Material
      This page emphasizes the importance of physical fitness for overall well-being, advocating for daily activity and purposeful exercise. It recommends 150-300 minutes of moderate to vigorous cardio weekly and strength training for all major muscle groups twice a week. Flexibility through stretching and adequate sleep are also highlighted as essential for good health. The importance of consulting a doctor before starting an exercise regimen is underscored.

    The information in this chapter comes primarily from three key research and evidence based reports:

    1. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans 2nd edition[1]. Note this first edition was published in 2008 and the 2nd edition in 2018.
    2. The WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour[2]
    3. The Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030[3]

    This page titled 2: Exercise, Physical Activity, and Sleep is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Kelly Falcone via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.