Be Active:
What is Physical Activity?
Activities involving movement that cause you to expend energy, including everyday physical activity and exercise.
- Everyday physical activity– activities that get you moving but are not scheduled for a set period of time, and usually are at a low-to-moderate intensity.
- Exercise– a type of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and has the goal of improving health and fitness.
Both everyday physical activity and exercise are good for you! The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans state that for maximum benefit, adults should do 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week. (Keep an eye out for an upcoming tip on what “moderate intensity” and “vigorous intensity” are!)
Physical activity should be done on most days of the week and can be broken into smaller time increments throughout the day (10 minute walk in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening for 30 minutes that day!)
Find more tips or learn more about the Physical Activity for Lifelong Success (PALS) program at wihealthyaging.org/PALS