What is Physical Activity?

The short answer is anything that gets you moving.

A lot of people define physical activity more narrowly, as something like cycling, skiing, or weight training.  That’s certainly part of it.  But being active is much more.

Think of it like this:

Sports and exercise tend to be more structured and “intense” forms of physical activity (even though they can be practiced at any level).  That’s one type of activity.

Even people who do not have a sport or form of exercise that interests them might still have a favourite recreational pastime – some other type of recreation, like digging the weeds or dancing the waltz – that makes their body work harder than normal.  So that’s another type of activity.

Sometimes, being physically active starts with simply getting off the couch, with more “active living”.  That means purposely adding activity to your life – walking or biking to the store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking the dog.

There are all sorts of opportunities to add more activity into your daily or weekly schedule.  With time, it just becomes part of your routine.

Why be active?

Being active is one of the most important things you can do to improve and maintain your physical and mental health, and your quality of life.

Just some of the benefits of regular activity are:
• Helps to maintain your weight (that’s important for your general health and for the sake of your joints – less weight means less stress on them).
• Improves your balance (important to prevent falls).
• Limits the loss of muscle that happens with aging and inactivity.
• Strengthens your heart, lungs, and circulatory system.
• Improves your endurance.
• Increases the life of your joint replacement.
• Strengthens your muscles and joints, and keeps your joints flexible.
• Improves energy levels.
• Improves your posture.
• Improves quality of sleep.
• Improves your mood, helps you deal with anxiety, and keeps your thinking sharp.
• Reduces symptoms and disability experienced with arthritis.
• Reduces your risk of developing certain disabilities and chronic conditions, including arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, and certain cancers (e.g. colon and breast, and possibly lung and endometrial).

In short, being active helps you to feel better, body and mind, to remain independent and live longer, and to continue to do the things you enjoy.

If you were active in the past, you know these benefits well.  And if you weren’t that active before, consider this a great time to start.  Think of your new hip or knee as the perfect inspiration for a newly active lifestyle, for the sake of your brand new joint – and your overall health.

Still have questions?

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