Physical activity, exercise and training, what are the differences?

It is common to think that the simple fact that you are pumping weights or that you go out for a run is training. But you need more than a physical activity to consider that what you are doing is training.

Physical activity

Definition: All movements made by a person through skeletal muscle that moves your bones.

Examples: Grocery shopping, pushing a cart, gardening, cleaning, climb up the stairs, etc.

Physical exercise:

Definition: Physical activities that we are repeating multiple time each week or every day to increase our physical condition, our composure or our health.

Examples: Start walking every day, take part of an online training class, jog outside each weekend, use gym training equipment, etc.

Physical training

Definition: Doing physical exercises in a structured, repetitive and planned way with the intention of increasing one or more physical capacity like: flexibility, cardiovascular capacity, strength, muscular endurance, etc. The capacities you wish to ameliorate must be measured at the beginning to plan the training program which will be needed to achieve the goals. Follow-ups must be done to oversee performances and adjust the plan depending on the obtained results.

Examples: Regular private training, gym sessions or running outside based on an exercise plan that include a set number of repetitions and series to be done depending on the goal.

We can say that all physical exercises are physical activities but not all physical activities are physical exercises. Physical training is based on a rigorous plan and frequent measures. Finally, the difference between those three terms is all about the intensity, the intention and the observations of the goals.