Fabrice RateauKin 11011/20/2011Physical Activity vs. ExerciseIn the United States, it seems like every few years people are becoming more and moreobese and unhealthy. Problems of being overweight or even obese has become excessivelytrendy and is only getting worse. As a result of this, physicians, nutritionist, health experts, etc.recommended that people increase the amount of physical activity they engage in daily or imple-ment some type of exercise routine that will help them lower their BMI. Many often mistakephysical activity and exercise to be the same thing, but by definition, in fact, they are differentand one may benefit you more than the other.Thousands of people enter and exit Umass Amherst’s own recreation center, to get exer-cise to get in shape. Others simply believe walking back and forth to class is good enough ratherthan slaving on an elliptical machine or a treadmill. People often think that any kind of bodymovement is good enough and that they got their share of exercise for the day, but more oftenthan not, they are wrong.Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by the muscles that resultsin energy expenditure (Thompson, Buchner, Pina, Balady, Williams, Marcus, Berra, Blair, Costa,Franklin, Fletcher, Gordon, Pate, Rodriguez, Yancey, & Wenger, 2003). Exercise is a subset of