Making the Case > Older Adult Voices > What Does Physical Activity Mean to Me?
“anything that a person is not obligated to do. Like running, walking, golfing … If you’re doing it … I look upon it as exercise.
“What I do around the house and around the yard could be exercise but I don’t think it falls into the same class.
Although most participants simply provided examples of activities, the participant quoted above gave a more detailed definition of physical activity.
This participant sees a difference between exercise and physical activity. Her response shows that she sees exercise as more structured and planned than physical activity.
However, most participants responded by giving examples of activities, including:
-
Light-intensity activities: Examples included gardening and yard work, stretching and bowling.
-
More moderate to vigorous intensity activities: Examples included golfing, “cardiovascular activities,” shovelling, swimming, walking, running, climbing stairs, dancing, biking, resistance training and cross-country skiing.
Most responses focused on leisure-time physical activities, but participants also gave a few examples of work-time physical activities, including housecleaning, cutting wood and working cattle.
Making the Case > Older Adult Voices > Content