Physical activity: benefits, determinants and interventions

Question 1

What is physical activity?

Answer 1

• any bodily movement
• produced by skeletal muscle
• results in energy expenditure
  e. g. structured exercise (sports)
  e. g. lifestyle exercise (walking)

Question 2

What is exercise?

Answer 2

• activity requiring physical effort

- carried out to sustain/improve health or fitness

Question 3

What is fitness?

Answer 3

• individual possess set of attributes relating to their ability to perform physical activity

Question 4

What is the difference in physical activity in different countries?

Answer 4

• Extra childcare duties
• Cultural attitudes
• Wealthier countries = sedentary jobs/ increase use of motor transport/ labour saving tech
• Low income countries = more likely to be active in their jobs/ lack of infrastructure

Question 5

How much are adults expected to exercise?

Answer 5

• recommended at least 30 minutes of exercise for 5 days a week
• at moderate intensity [get warmer, breathe harder, heart beat faster, but able to hold a convo]

OR

• 75 mins of vigorous exercise [same as above but can’t hold a convo]
• over 5 day period.

Question 6

What is the recommendation for children activity?

Answer 6

• 60 mins exercise every day of the week
• moderate intensity
• Vigorous exercise for at least 3 days a week and to minimise sedentary time recommended.

Question 7

How do you measure exercise levels?

Answer 7

• self-report
  OR
• objectively

Question 8

What does self report mean?

Answer 8

• exercise diaries
• questionnaires

(Difficult to recall [recall bias] and bias to overestimate).

Question 9

What is objective measuring?

Answer 9

• heart rate monitors
• step counters
• can overestimate
• be too expensive

Question 10

What describes an increase in both PA and obesity?

Answer 10

• changes in measures of PA

- changes in peoples’ awareness of what constitutes as PA.

Question 11

Why is there more obesity?

Answer 11

• Sedentary lifestyles (SITTING DOWN ALL THE TIME)

Question 12

What are the mental health benefits of exercise?

Answer 12

1. Reduced risk of diseases.
2. Reduced risk of physical health problems as our bodies adapt to stress.
   o Cortisol at high levels  Heart disease/ hypertension etc.
3. Healthier organs
4. Healthier bones
   o Weight bearing exercise required to strengthen bone
5. More energy
6. Improved sleep
   Reduced anxiety/happier mood

Question 13

What are the social benefits of exercise?

Answer 13

1. Making friends + connecting with people
2. Having fun  link with overall wellbeing
3. Challenging stigma and discrimination

Question 14

Why is exercise beneficial?

Answer 14

• CVS – reduced risk of CVD, reduced BP, reduced body fat, increased HDL and increased fitness
• Psychological benefits – reduced depression/anxiety and increased self-esteem
• Other benefits – reduced risk of cancer (colon/breast/prostate), increased immune function and increased bone mineral density
• 30% decrease in all cause mortality.

Question 15

What are the psychological benefits of exercise?

Answer 15

• less distraction
• thermogenic
• opioids (release of these which make you happier)
• relaxation/stress management (exercise can dampen stress response)

Question 16

What allows you to perform exercise at a higher level?

Answer 16

• Higher socio-economic status - safer environment
• Being male - stronger sports culture
• More social support for PA
• Fewer barriers to PA – time/cost/gender/informal carer/motivation/health issues/ isolation/ pain/ injuries/ weather
• Active childhood – a positive experience of PA carried through
• Being younger –responsibilities (e.g. job, family) reduce PA
• Lower BMI –psychological and physical barriers of high BMI
• Non-smokers – smokers: non-PA culture, CV fitness hampered
• Motivations/beliefs/social support/self-efficacy

Question 17

What kind of social support is beneficial to encourage exercise?

Answer 17

• Instrumental support: Giving a friend a ride to an exercise class
• Informational support: Sharing information about an exercise class with a friend
• Emotional support: Calling a friend to see how the exercise class went
• Appraisal support: Providing encouragement for exercise

Question 18

How can physical exercise be done?

Answer 18

• individual (good for flexible hours)
• group (good for morale)
• organizational (designated gym time for colleagues at work)
• society (PE curriculum),

Question 19

How do you stay committed to exercise?

Answer 19

• going gym (membership)
• having a personal trainer
• weekly/monthly target or a reward.
• When setting a goal it must be specific to an exercise (FITT – frequency, intensity, type, time).
• Also relapse procedures must be in place e.g. “If it rains I won’t jog outdoors, I will jog on the treadmill instead

Question 20

What models?

Answer 20

• Health belief model – attitude/sub norm/ perceived control  intention  behaviour
• COM-B model

Question 21

To change sedentary behaviour, what should be done?

Answer 21

1. Conduct research at interventions (but this hasn’t been to successfull)
2. Change environment (e.g. target better PE at school, or work or home)
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3. Change culture (To exercise will be a opportunity and not a inconvenience? But, how?)