13.1 Physical Activity in Your Life

This module explores the concepts of physical activity, exercise, and sedentary behavior and incorporates strategies for increasing activity. Whether you’re already physically active or just starting to think about incorporating more physical activity into your life, here we share strategies for people of all fitness levels.

Physical Activity in Your Life Learning Objectives

• Define physical activity, exercise, and sedentary behavior.
• Summarize various benefits of engaging in cardiorespiratory endurance activities, muscular strength and endurance activities, and stretching.
• Summarize factors that influence the likelihood of engaging in physical activity;
• Identify strategies for decreasing sedentary behavior.
• Dispel myths related to physical activity and exercise.
• Weigh various considerations when planning to make changes to physical activity behaviors.
• Recognize strategies for making physical activity part of life.
• Define progressive overload and specificity.
• Identify strategies for overcoming or avoiding a fitness plateau.
• Summarize strategies for engaging in safe physical activity.
• Identify the reasons for sore muscles after exercise.