In our pursuit of health and wellness, we’re always seeing various types of exercises to choose from. We see weightlifting to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to running — the list goes on and on.
However, the single best physical activity for health is not what you think — or maybe it is. I have worked with many clients and students as a trainer and instructor, and I always instill this thought for the best outcome for long-term engagement and health.
First, it’s important to define health to know what we’re trying to improve.
What is health?
There are three possible definitions that can be used to describe health, which are as follows:
- No disease or impairment present in the person
- Ability of a person to efficiently manage with the demands of daily life
- A balance among a person’s physical, mental, and social well-being
All three make sense to define health, and they all can define a different aspect of a person’s health. (see Sartorius, 2006)
However, I think the third definition encompasses all of them — someone who can take care of his or her physical body (e.g., through exercise, nutrition, and sleep), mental and emotional well-being (e.g., through positivity and mindfulness), and social relationships with people can be ‘healthy.’
These individuals may be less likely to have underlying conditions and/or manage the negative stress everyday activities that need to be done. It’s not impossible, but it’s less likely.
This brings us to the next point of the blog.
Why be active for health?
Being physically active has many benefits for health. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Improved fitness
- Lower risk of chronic diseases (e.g., blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cholesterol, etc.)
- Improved mood and reduced anxiety
- Can also fun and social if we’re doing it with friends or family! (see the Physical Activity Guidelines, 2018)
There are so many benefits to being active into our daily lives that we should strive to include it in any way we can.
So, how can we stay motivated to do it on a regular basis? That’s where we come to the main point of the blog.
What is the single best physical activity for health?
The single best activity for health is the one you enjoy doing!
Yes, this may seem like a cop out answer, but it’s the truth.
The reason is we’re more likely to continue doing an activity if we enjoy it — we’d be more motivated to constantly do it if we’re having fun.
In this case, we don’t have to force ourselves to do one particular activity if we don’t like it. We don’t have to run if it feels like a chore to us!
So, if you like weightlifting at a gym, biking in the mornings, doing crossfit with friends, walking with your partner in the evenings, or playing sports on the weekend, by all means go for it!
We’ll be improving our physical, mental, and social well-being in the process, bettering our health in the long-run.
Summary
I should say that exercise falls into this category as well. Exercise is a subset of physical activity, which you can read about here, but the same idea would apply if I would’ve said ‘the single best exercise for health.’
Doing the activity we enjoy the most would hit mental and social well-being aspects in addition to the physical well-being.
The physical activity guidelines do have recommendations for how much we should do for potential benefits, but any activity is better than no activity. We can start there.
This blog solely touched on physical activity for health, but we should strive to focus and improve on other aspects in our lives that positively influence our health.
Thus, remember to check with a medical provider before starting a new exercise program and/or making life-changing decisions on health and fitness.
Feel free to comment below the single best physical activity for you!
I hope this was helpful!
— Alex, M.S.
Source
Sartorius, N. (2006). The meanings of health and its promotion. Croatian Medical Journal, 47(4), 662-664.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2018). 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services.