Physical Activity, Exercise, Fitness,

and PA Domains and Trends

EXSC 700/882
Spring 2024
Outline
 Definitions
Physical activity
Exercise
Lifestyle activities
Physical Fitness
Cardiorespiratory fitness
 Domains of physical activity
 Trends in physical activity
Physical Activity and Exercise

Physical
Activity

Household Chores Exercise

Gardening/
Yardwork Occupational Activity
Transportation Activity
Definition of Physical Activity

“any bodily movement produced by

skeletal muscle that results in energy
expenditure”
(Caspersen,
Powell, and Christenson 1985)
Definition of Exercise
A type of PA that requires planned,
structured, and repetitive bodily movement
with the intent of improving or maintaining
physical fitness or health
Structured vs. Unstructured
Physical Activity

Exercise Lifestyle
Physical Activity
Total Energy Expenditure

Variable
Total Energy Expenditure Activity

Physical Activity
Activities of
Daily Living
Thermic
Effect of Food

Basal
Metabolic
Rate
Energy Balance

Energy Energy
Intake Expenditure
Definition of Physical Fitness
“ability to perform muscular work
satisfactorily” (World Health Organization)
Performance-related fitness
Ability to perform competitive sports,
military maneuvers or occupational work
Health-related fitness (Bouchard, Shephard,
Stephens 1994)
Health-related Fitness (Table 3.4)
Morphological (fatness, bone mass, flexibility)
Muscular (strength, power, endurance)
Motor (agility, balance, coordination, speed of
movement)
Metabolic (glucose tolerance, blood lipids, lipid
oxidation)
Cardiorespiratory (maximal and submaximal aerobic
capacity, cardiac function, pulmonary function,
blood pressure) Bouchard et al. 1994
Key Definitions
The ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and
alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample
energy to enjoy leisure time pursuits and meet
unforeseen emergencies
Determined by a combination of regular PA and
Physical fitness
genetically inherited ability
 Aerobic capacity (cardiorespiratory fitness)
 Muscular strength and endurance
 Flexibility
 Body composition
The ability of the circulatory and respiratory
systems to supply oxygen to skeletal muscles
Cardiorespiratory during sustained physical activity.
fitness  Non-modifiable: age, gender, genotype
 Modifiable: PA, smoking, obesity, medical
condition
 PA Characteristics
Four parameters to consider
Frequency
Intensity
Time
Type

12
PA Intensity
 AbsoluteIntensity
kcal/min
Miles per hour
METs
Metabolic Equivalents (METs)
 Introduced in 1936 by D.B. Dill
1 MET = 3.5 ml/kg/min
 Resting energy expenditure
 Moderate intensity: ≥3 but <6 METs (Guidelines)
 Vigorous intensity: ≥6 METs (Guidelines)
 MET-minutes = MET*minutes
 Interpret 4 METs
PA Intensity
Relative intensity expressed as:
% of aerobic power (VO2max)
% of maximal heart rate or heart rate reserve
(max HR – rest HR)
% of exercise capacity in METs
Moderate: 40-59%; Vigorous: 60-84%
Rating of perceived exertion (RPE): Borg Scale
of 6-20
Borg Scale of 6-20
Relative Intensity Calculation
 Individual’s VO2max measured or estimated
Relative Intensity Calculation
 Individual’s VO2max measured or estimated

 Adult with VO2max of 14 METs walking at 3

miles per hour
 Relative intensity of 24% of VO2max – LOW
Relative Intensity Calculation
 Individual’s VO2max measured or estimated

 Adult with VO2max of 14 METs walking at 3 miles

per hour
 Relative intensity of 24% of VO2max – LOW
 Adult with VO2max of 4 METs walking at 3 miles
per hour
 Relative intensity of 83% of VO2max – HARD
 Relative intensity of walking at 3 mph
& 4 mph as % of VO2max for adults
140
3 mph 4 mph
120
Percent VO2max

Maximal
100
Very hard
80
Hard
60
Moderate
40
Light
20
Very light
0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Exercise capacity in METs

US DHHS 2008
Domains of Physical Activity
 Occupational work
 Domestic chores (Housework)
 Leisure
 Transportation
Domains of PA

Sleep
19%
Household
27%

Leisure
5%

Transportation
24%
Occupational
25%

Dong et al., 2004

 Occupational PA
Changing work practices
 Exam trends in occupational activity over
past 5 decades
 Explore
how these trends related to changes
in mean body weight of adults in US

Church et al. PLoS One, 2011;6(5): e19657.

Church et al. Occupational PA Paper
 Methods
 How did they measure obesity? NHANES
 How did they measure occupational PA?
 How did they assign MET levels to
Current Employment
occupations?
Statistics & Current
Population Survey

Tudor-Locke et al.
2010
 60
Light
(2.0 to 2.9 METS)

50
% Total Private US Jobs

40

Sedentary
30 (<2 METS)

Moderate
20 (≥3.0 METS)

10

0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Year
140 daily calories

124 daily calories

 Decrease in goods producing and farming jobs; increase in service jobs over 5
decades
 Shift from moderate-intensity jobs to sedentary/light-intensity jobs
 Daily occupation-related energy expenditure decreased by more than 100
calories in both men and women
 Accounts for large portion of observed increase in mean US weight
 Household PA
Labor-saving devices use
Household Appliance Ownership 1971-2005
96
100 84 81 1971
71 2005
80 64
Percent Ownership (%)

60 45
40 19
20 1
0

US Census
Bureau:
FactFinder
• Analysis of the American Heritage Time
Use Study, 1965-2010
• American Heritage Time Use Study
(AHTUS) is a time-use diary

Archer et al. PLoS One, 2013;8(2): e56620.

16.6 HR/WK
12.4 HR/WK
6.8 HR/WK
360 daily kcals
265 daily kcals
311 daily kcals
Transportation
Physical Activity Transition
Brownson et al. Annu Rev Public Health, 2005;26: 421-443.
40.7%

12.9%

McDonald et al. Am J Prev Med, 2007;32(6): 509-516.

Mean of Travel to School for Children 5-17
(NHTS)
Leisure-time PA
Current Leisure-time Trends

3 hour
2.6
hour

23 min
14 min
Archer et al. PLoS One, 2013;8(2): e56620.
Adult Physical Activity
Any Questions?

 Next Two Classes  Subjective measures of PA

 Readings: Dishman RK (2022): Chapter 3

 Quiz #2 Assigned after lecture and due on Wednesday

midnight!

 Physical activity monitoring assignment is coming!