8.10: Physical Activity
- Page ID
- 116463
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Physical activity is any movement that enhances your overall fitness and well-being. It does not have to be deliberate exercise. It can include walking to the store, or vacuuming, or gardening, or going dancing with friends. 
An increase in sedentary jobs and sedentary leisure activities (for example, going on the computer instead of walking to a friend's house) has meant that many people in the United States and other wealthier countries do not move much. We use cars more, walk less. We watch movies more, play ball less. Our jobs often have us sitting or standing in one set place much of the day.
This trend affects children as well as adults. Often, children live farther from their schools than in the past, or their neighborhoods make it unsafe to walk or bike to school (due to traffic patterns or violence).
Examples:
- In 1972, 42% of kids walked or biked to school (regardless of school distance).By 2013, that number declined to 13%. (SRTS)
- To compare only the kids who lived within 1 mile of school, in 1969, 89% of those kids walked or biked to school. In 2009, the number dropped to 35%.(SRTS). The CDC in 2016 estimated that less than 20% of kids walk or bike to school (CDC).
This brief (2 minute) optional video illustrates the findings of one research study on how children's activity levels drop as they age. This is one example of how public health research can be helpful in zeroing in on a specific aspect of a large problem:
Benefits of Physical Activity
Some benefits of physical activity include
- reducing stress
- improving digestion
- increasing blood flowl
- lowering blood pressure
- improved flexibility
Increasing one's physical activity is beneficial in controlling diabetes, maintaining heart health, relieving depression, preventing osteoporosis, improving brain function, and more.
For some disorders, it is even more beneficial than medication. This article summarizes two scientific reviews (optional) and found the benefits of exercise to be basically comparable (and in some cases better) than the results of medication, for reducing high blood pressure and also visceral body fat (the fat in the torso around vital organs).
- What are your ideas about how to increase physical activity -- for yourself or for your community?
- Do you feel you are active enough, or would you like to be more active?
- Are there ways you can think of to squeeze in 10 minutes of activity, a few times a day? There is great benefit to even small increases in activity levels.
Physical Activity for Everyone
Physical Activity Options for those with mobility restrictions or physical disabilities
All Communities Deserve Safe Places to Play and Be Active
The Community Guide from the CDC
CDC guidelines (9 guidelines in all) for schools, to promote healthy eating and physical activity.
Prevention Institute, in particular their work on healthy food and activity environments
The CDC recommends at least 1 hour a day of physical activity for children, and about 30 minutes per day for adults, with a mix of aerobic exercise (the kind that gets your heart pumping) and strengthening exercise. To make that happen, though, we need more than recommendations -- we need programs and policies that make it easier.
From a public health perspective, the social and physical environment has everything to do with how likely people are to get enough physical activity!
It is more than just will-power. We need safe places to walk (probably the world's most popular exercise) and play. It helps if physical activity is convenient and easily accessible. We need time to do it too - with both the average work week and the average commute much greater than they were a generation ago, it gets difficult to add in activity.
There's a reason people call exercise "the true fountain of youth."