​Exercise

Exercise is a type of physical activity that you plan. You can do it to improve your muscle strength, flexibility, and aerobic fitness (heart and lung health).

Here are some examples of exercise routines:

• strength training 3 days a week (2 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions)
• whole body stretching exercises every day
• 30 minutes on a treadmill

​Physical activity

Physical activity is any activity that gets you moving. Common types include:

• household physical activity, such as vacuuming or cleaning
• workplace physical activity, such as lifting boxes or walking for longer than 10 minutes
• lifestyle physical activity, such as carrying a basket at the grocery store instead of pushing a cart
• active transportation, such as walking to the store
• leisure time physical activity, such as playing sports or exercising

A complete physical activity program still needs to include parts that support your muscle strength, aerobic fitness (how long you can do something), and flexibility (how well you bend, twist, or move).

For example, when you are grocery shopping, you can include all parts of physical activity by:

• walking to the store
• carrying your groceries home in a backpack or a couple of bags
• putting food cans in the very back of the cupboard, alternating between using your left and right hands

What’s best: physical activity or exercise?

Being active regularly will improve your health. It doesn’t matter if you exercise, do other types of physical activity, or do a combination of both, as long as you start moving. Stay active doing things you like and that can fit into your regular routine.

Some ways to get started can include:

• Be active for shorter times all through the day, such as going for a walk for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day instead of going for 1 long walk.
• Start a walking group at work during lunch or at home with your neighbours to make being active more social, fun, and interesting.
• Do activities like bowling or swimming as a family instead of going to a movie.

Some activity is better than none. The more you do, the better. Finding activities you enjoy and that are practical is an important first step to becoming active.