What are the examples of physical activities?

Learn about the four types of exercises and how they can benefit you. For workout videos and examples of how to do some of the exercises listed below, visit NIA’s YouTube channel.

Most people tend to focus on one type of exercise or activity and think they’re doing enough. Research has shown that it’s important to get all four types of exercise: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Each one has different benefits. Doing one kind also can improve your ability to do the others, and variety helps reduce boredom and risk of injury. No matter your age, you can find activities that meet your fitness level and needs!

Endurance exercises for older adults

Endurance activities, often referred to as aerobic, increase your breathing and heart rates. These activities help keep you healthy, improve your fitness, and help you perform the tasks you need to do every day. Endurance exercises improve the health of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They also can delay or prevent many diseases that are common in older adults such as diabetes, colon and breast cancers, heart disease, and others. Physical activities that build endurance include:

Brisk walking or jogging
Yard work (mowing, raking)
Dancing
Swimming
Biking
Climbing stairs or hills
Playing tennis or basketball

Increase your endurance or “staying power” to help keep up with your grandchildren during a trip to the park, dance to your favorite songs at a family wedding, and rake the yard and bag up leaves. Build up to at least 150 minutes of activity a week that makes you breathe hard. Try to be active throughout your day to reach this goal and avoid sitting for long periods of time.

Safety tips

Do a little light activity, such as easy walking, before and after your endurance activities to warm up and cool down.
Listen to your body: endurance activities should not cause dizziness, chest pain or pressure, or a feeling like heartburn.
Be sure to drink liquids when doing any activity that makes you sweat. If your doctor has told you to limit your fluids, be sure to check before increasing the amount of fluid you drink while exercising.
If you are going to be exercising outdoors, be aware of your surroundings.
Dress in layers so you can add or remove clothes as needed for hot and cold weather.
To prevent injuries, use safety equipment, such as a helmet when bicycling.

When you’re being active, try talking: if you’re breathing hard but can still have a conversation easily, it’s moderate-intensity activity. If you can only say a few words before you have to take a breath, it’s vigorous-intensity activity.

Strength exercises for older adults

Your muscular strength can make a big difference. Strong muscles help you stay independent and make everyday activities feel easier, like getting up from a chair, climbing stairs, and carrying groceries. Keeping your muscles strong can help with your balance and prevent falls and fall-related injuries. You are less likely to fall when your leg and hip muscles are strong. Some people call using weight to improve your muscle strength “strength training” or “resistance training.”

Read and share this infographic and help spread the word about the everyday benefits of exercise and physical activity.

Some people choose to use weights to help improve their strength. If you do, start by using light weights at first, then gradually add more. Other people use resistance bands, stretchy elastic bands that come in varying strengths. If you are a beginner, try exercising without the band or use a light band until you are comfortable. Add a band or move on to a stronger band (or more weight) when you can do two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions easily. Try to do strength exercises for all of your major muscle groups at least 2 days per week, but don’t exercise the same muscle group on any 2 days in a row. Below are a few examples of strength exercises:

Safety tips

Don’t hold your breath during strength exercises and breathe regularly.
Breathe out as you lift or push, and breathe in as you relax.
Talk with your doctor if you are unsure about doing a particular exercise.

Balance exercises for older adults

Balance exercises help prevent falls, a common problem in older adults that can have serious consequences. Many lower-body strength exercises also will improve your balance. Balance exercises include:

Safety tips

Have a sturdy chair or a person nearby to hold on to if you feel unsteady.
Talk with your doctor if you are unsure about a particular exercise.

Flexibility exercises for older adults

Stretching can improve your flexibility. Moving more freely will make it easier for you to reach down to tie your shoes or look over your shoulder when you back your car out of the driveway. Flexibility exercises include:

Safety tips

Stretch when your muscles are warmed up.
Stretch after endurance or strength exercises.
Don’t stretch so far that it hurts.
Always remember to breathe normally while holding a stretch.
Talk with your doctor if you are unsure about a particular exercise.

Read about this topic in Spanish. Lea sobre este tema en español.

For more information about exercise and physical activity

Physical activity can be defined as any movement of the body that requires energy expenditure. This includes any motion you do through the day excluding sitting still or lying down. For example, walking to class, taking the stairs, mowing the lawn, and even cleaning your house can be considered physical activity. Exercise is a type of physical activity but not every physical activity is exercise. Exercise is a planned, structured, and repetitive activity for the purpose of improving or maintain physical fitness.

Why should I be physically active?

The fight against obesity:

More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese. In simplest terms, obesity is excessive fat accumulation that impairs health. Obesity has a wide range of medical complications;

Pulmonary disease
Cancer
Stroke
Gall bladder disease
Diabetes
And many more.

The cause of obesity in two people is rarely the same – genetics, lifestyles, and even viruses all play a role.

Fighting obesity can be influenced by certain risk-factors. The modifiable risk factors related to obesity include physical activity, excess caloric intake, and low socioeconomic status. There are also non-modifiable risk factors; age, heredity, ethnicity/race, culture, and metabolism.

Obesity is a growing epidemic in our nation. The change starts with us. Using this physical activity guide can give you the proper steps towards an obese free neighborhood, city, and nation.

What the experts say:

Performing physical activity on a regular basis will help to improve overall health and fitness, as well as decrease the risk for many chronic diseases (Center for Disease Control, 2010).

HEALTH: The World Health Association defines it as, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”
HEALTH-RELATED FITNESS: The American Academy of Sport Medicine defines health-related fitness as a set of attributes one already has or works towards. This develops through physical activity and aids in the performance of daily function with vigor and without fatigue.
CHRONIC DISEASES: A condition that impairs daily living, decreases longevity and quality of life. Some examples include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

What does this mean for you?

Benefits of Physical Activity
- Reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, certain cancers, and other chronic health conditions
- Help with weight control
- Strengthens bones and muscles
- Improves mental health, mood, and energy level
- Better quality life

Manhattan, Kansas is a community that supports and provides numerous types of physical activity opportunities for YOU!

Physical activity is any deliberate muscle movement that uses energy. It can be structured exercise — like sports, a gym session, or going for a run — or part of your work, your leisure time, or any other movement you do during your day.

There are different types of physical activity, and they’re often categorized based on the kind of movement they involve and how intensely you do them.

Physical activity can be divided into the following types:

Aerobic: like running, swimming, or going for a brisk walk. This can be broken down further into low, moderate, and vigorous intensity.
Strengthening: such as pushups, lifting weights, or digging in the garden.
Flexibility: for example, stretching exercises or yoga.
Balance: including yoga, tai chi, or walking heel to toe.

Each type of physical activity brings its own health benefits, and it’s important to try to include them all in your weekly routine.

Some of the health benefits of being physically active include a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, as well as improved mental health and better sleep.

Being physically active is one of the key ways to take care of your health, along with diet, sleep, mental health, and social and lifestyle habits. At ZOE, our research looks at how these factors work together to impact your overall well-being.

The ZOE program focuses on your body’s unique responses to the foods you eat and how these can affect your health.

You can take a free quiz to find out more.

Read on to learn about different types of physical activity and which might suit you best.

Types of physical activity

While there are almost endless examples of physical activity, they’re usually grouped together based on what type of movement you’re doing or how intense it is.

Does it speed up your heart rate or your breathing? Are particular muscles or muscle groups burning? Does it involve stretching or balancing? These are all clues as to what type of exercise you’re doing.

1. Aerobic exercises

Aerobic exercise, also known as cardiovascular or “cardio,” includes anything that gets your breathing and heart rate up. Everyone can benefit from this type of movement, regardless of their age or physical abilities.

Aerobic exercises can help improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and your sleep. Over time, these exercises can also reduce your risk of developing many chronic conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Aerobic exercises can be grouped into low, moderate, or vigorous intensity, based on how much they increase your breathing and heart rate. One way to test an activity’s intensity level is to do the talk test. Whether you can sing or talk during the activity can give you clues about how hard you are exercising.

Low intensity activities

If you can talk and sing during an activity, you’re exercising at a low intensity.

While great for any age or fitness level, low intensity exercises can be particularly beneficial for beginners, older adults, people with joint pain, or those recovering from injury. These types of activities can still benefit your health and may help you stick with your physical activity goals.

Examples of low intensity activities include:

leisurely walking
light swimming
vacuuming, mopping, and other house-cleaning activities
washing the car
light gardening

Moderate intensity activities

Moderate intensity activities get your heart pumping. During these activities, you should be able to talk but not sing.

Most adults and children can benefit from moderate intensity activities because many of the health benefits of aerobic exercise begin in this range. Older adults or those with a history of health conditions should talk to their doctor about an appropriate intensity level for them.

Examples of moderate intensity physical activities include:

swimming or water aerobics
jogging
walking quickly
dancing
doing yard work
leisurely biking

Vigorous intensity activities

If you’re out of breath and can only string a few words together at a time, you’re in the vigorous intensity range.

Some people prefer this level of physical activity, as it brings the same health benefits in less time. However, if you are new to exercise or if you have any health complications, you may want to speak to your doctor before attempting any vigorous activity.

Some examples of vigorous intensity activities include:

running or biking at a fast pace
swimming laps
doing heavy yard work, such as prolonged digging or shoveling
playing basketball or tennis
jumping rope

While everyone can benefit from aerobic activity, it’s important to start at the right level for you and gradually increase the intensity as your fitness improves.

2. Strengthening exercises

As well as aerobic exercises, it’s also important to include muscle-strengthening exercises in your workout routine.

These exercises help maintain muscle and bone mass and are an important part of healthy aging. Women in particular can benefit from strengthening activities, as bone and muscle loss are common during and after menopause.

Strengthening exercises can be done with or without equipment, in a gym, or at home. There are many different activities that can help strengthen your muscles, so choose which work for you and your lifestyle. Some examples include:

lifting weights
working with resistance bands
doing push-ups or sit-ups
doing heavy yard work or gardening
doing some forms of yoga

Just as with aerobic activities, make sure to start at a comfortable level and slowly increase the amount you do. Pregnant women, older adults, and those with health conditions should discuss which strengthening activities are most appropriate with their doctor.

3. Flexibility exercises

Adding movements that help with your flexibility is also important for your overall health. These activities can help prevent injury, reduce body aches, and increase range of motion.

Examples of flexibility exercises include:

stretching
yoga
pilates
tai chi

Make sure to get your muscles warmed up with 5–10 minutes of movement before stretching them. This sends blood and oxygen to your muscles and allows them to stretch more easily.

You could also do your flexibility exercises after other physical activity or as part of your cool down. Remember, stretching should not be painful. To avoid injury, only push your muscles as far as is comfortable.

4. Balance exercises

Maintaining good balance can help prevent falls and injury in older adults and is important for everyday activities such as walking or climbing stairs.

Some balancing exercises include:

walking heel to toe
standing on one foot, then repeating with the other
yoga
tai chi
standing up from a seated position

How much exercise should you do?

The current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise each week.

That’s the equivalent of 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. And you can even split those 30 minutes into shorter amounts — say, three 10-minute sessions — if you prefer.

Another option is to do at least 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise each week.

As well as cardio, you should aim to do strengthening activities at least twice a week.

For older adults, it’s important to include multicomponent physical activity each week, which combines balance exercises with cardio and strength training.

While these recommendations can be a great goal to work toward, remember that any movement is better than none at all. Start at the right level for you and gradually increase the amount of activity you do as your fitness improves.

You should also pick activities you enjoy. If you dread working out in a gym, go on a nature hike or exercise at home. If running isn’t your thing, try swimming or joining a dance class.

Choosing activities that work for you and your lifestyle can help to make physical activity a sustainable and enjoyable part of your everyday life.

Summary

The term physical activity covers any kind of movement you choose to make, including during organized exercise time and any other daily activities.

There are different types of physical activity — including aerobic, strengthening, flexibility, and balance — and you can do them at varying levels of intensity.

Each kind comes with its own health benefits, so it’s good to include them all in your weekly routine.

Current guidelines recommend that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise or at least 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise each week, but it’s important to start at a level that’s right for your personal fitness and mobility and build from there.

Another important way to improve your overall health is by eating the right foods for your unique metabolism.

The ZOE at-home test helps you do this by looking at your blood sugar and blood fat responses to food, as well as your gut health.

You can take a free quiz to find out more.