What is considered physical activity?

Chapter 8 examined the physical activity levels of the Terman participants in order to determine how important it is to living a long, healthy life. Physical activity levels of Terman participants was evaluated at age eleven, and continued to be evaluated into adulthood. The authors discuss information about whether they participated in sports, or had an interest in hobbies such as hiking or gardening. It has been found that parents rating of their child’s physical activity level is predictive of their activity level into adulthood. The chapter also raises the importance of delving into one’s childhood activities and hobbies when discussing physical activity with a doctor. Many doctors seem to disregard these variables, and simply tell their patients to exercise 30 minutes every day, without looking at their past individual experiences. I was surprised to find that physical activity during adulthood is more important than during childhood. I also find it striking that inactivity during adolescence is not a problem if it increases with age. My mom always tells me that what I do during my younger years (such as eating well) will affect me in adulthood, since adolescence is the primary growth period. It is interesting to find that it doesn’t necessarily apply with physical exercise, and that the “nerds” can still catch up with the “jocks” of the school, and “even surpass the health of their more naturally active peers” (100).

The book suggested the importance of engaging in activities that we enjoy (for example, gardening) and include the movement of the body, because they are much easier to incorporate into our daily life. It is much easier to make a lifestyle change when we don’t have to think about setting aside one hour to jog everyday. It also says that recommendations for exercise must be tailored to the individual. For example, my friend and I have an interest in dance, and find that more entertaining and fun than going on a run every day. These activities make it so that it is more sustainable throughout my lifetime; while jogging is something I do once every few weeks, dancing is more likely to be a continuous activity. As the authors state, finding a hobby is more effective because it is easier to be active when the activity is something you want to do as opposed to something you view as a chore.