Benefits of Physical Activity

Evidence of Benefits of Physical Activity[edit | edit source]

Physical activity [PA] has become a public health priority because of the overwhelming body of evidence supporting its effectiveness as a holistic health intervention[1].

See Tackling Physical Inactivity: A Resource for Raising Awareness in Physiotherapists for more information.

As long ago as the 1950s, Professor Morris and his colleagues demonstrated that men engaged in work requiring a level of physical activity (e.g. postmen or bus conductors) were less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than men with sedentary jobs (e.g. bus drivers or clerical workers)[2]. Since this time, many studies in different countries and populations have demonstrated the benefits of PA in a wide variety of health conditions, in some cases showing an effect equal to or even greater than medication[3].

There appears to be a linear relation between physical activity and health status, such that a further increase in physical activity and fitness will lead to additional improvements in health status[1].

Historical Perspective[edit | edit source]

Human beings are built for movement. For much of history, we were hunters and gatherers and our genes have evolved to accommodate the high energy expenditure levels required to be successful and thrive in the environment[4][5].

Yet in the 21st century, in many countries of the world people spend large periods of the day sitting down, whether at desks, computers or in transport. A study[6] states, "With the evolution of the development of knowledge and progress in automatic technologies, the human society gradually turned into a sedentary population. It is moreover clearly established that physical activity is insufficient in Europe and in the developed countries. The physical activity is certainly beneficial for many reasons, but it is especially the inactivity which is dangerous." [6].

Physical activity benefits infographic for adults and older people.png
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Health-Related Components of Physical Fitness[edit | edit source]

  • Cardiorespiratory endurance: the ability of the circulatory and respiratory system to supply oxygen during PA.
  • Muscular strength: the ability of the muscle to exert force.
  • Muscular endurance: the ability of the muscle to perform without fatigue.
  • Flexibility: the range of motion present in a joint.[7]
  • Body composition: the relative amounts of muscle, bone, fat and other body tissues.[8]
Health-benefits-of-physical-activity.png

More esoteric health-related benefits of PA[edit | edit source]

  • Improves glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity[7][9]
  • Reduces blood pressure[10][11][12]
  • Improves autonomic tone[13]
  • Decreases blood coagulation[14]
  • Improves coronary blood flow[15]
  • Enhances lipid lipoprotein profiles (e.g., through reduced triglyceride levels, increased high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol levels and decreased low-density lipoprotein [LDL]-to-HDL ratios)[7][16][17][18][19]
  • Reduces systemic inflammation[20][21]
  • Augments cardiac function[22][23]
  • Enhances endothelial function[24][25][26][27]

Skill Related Physical Fitness Components[edit | edit source]

  • Coordination: the ability to use the senses together with body parts to perform motor tasks accurately
  • Balance: the maintenance of equilibrium whilst moving or stationary[28]
  • Agility: the ability to change the position of the body in space with speed & accuracy
  • Speed: the ability to perform a movement swiftly/within a short period of time
  • Reaction time: the time between stimulation and the start of a response/reaction to it[28]

Mental Health Related Physical Fitness Components[edit | edit source]

Routine physical activity is associated with improved psychological well-being[29][1][7] (e.g., through reduced stress, anxiety and depression). See the PA and Mental Health page for more details.

Related Physiopedia Pages[edit | edit source]

Conditions[edit | edit source]

The following pages provide more information, evidence and references on the benefits of PA in specific groups of conditions:

Populations[edit | edit source]

These pages provide more information, evidence and references on the benefits of PA in specific population groups:

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Warburton DER, Nicol CW, Bredlin SSD. Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. Can Med Assoc J 2006;174(6):801-09
  2. Paffenbarger RS Jr, Blair SN, Lee IM. A history of physical activity, cardiovascular health and longevity: the scientific contributions of Jeremy N Morris, DSc, DPH, FRCP. Int J Epidemiol 2001;30(5):1184-92
  3. Naci H, Ioannidis JPA. Comparative effectiveness of exercise and drug interventions on mortality outcomes: meta-epidemiological study. BMJ 2013;347:f5577
  4. Katzmarzyk PT. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and health: paradigm paralysis or paradigm shift? Diabetes 2010;59:2717-2725
  5. Booth FW, Chakravarthy MV, Gordon SE, Spangenburg EE. Waging war on physical inactivity: using modern molecular ammunition against an ancient enemy. J Appl Physiol 2002;93:3-30
  6. 6.0 6.1 Grosclaude M, Ziltener JL. Benefits of physical activity. Rev Med Suisse [01 Aug 2010, 6(258):1495-1498]
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Warburton DE1, Gledhill N, Quinney A. Musculoskeletal fitness and health. Can J Appl Physiol. 2001 Apr;26(2):217-37.
  8. Darren E.R. Warburton, Crystal Whitney Nicol, and Shannon S.D. Bredin Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. CMAJ. 2006 Mar 14; 174(6): 801–809
  9. Wallberg-Henriksson H, Rincon J, Zierath JR. Exercise in the management of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitusSports Med 1998;25:25-35
  10. Blair SN, Goodyear NN, Gibbons LW, et al. Physical fitness and incidence of hypertension in healthy normotensive men and women. JAMA 1984;252:487-90
  11. Paffenbarger RS Jr, Jung DL, Leung RW, et al. Physical activity and hypertension: an epidemiological viewAnn Med 1991;23:319-27
  12. Crisafulli A, Pagliaro P. Physical activity/inactivity and COVID-19. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2020 May 19:2047487320927597.
  13. Adamopoulos S, Piepoli M, McCance A, et al. Comparison of different methods for assessing sympathovagal balance in chronic congestive heart failure secondary to coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol 1992;70:1576-82
  14. Rauramaa R, Salonen JT, Seppanen K, et al. Inhibition of platelet aggregability by moderate-intensity physical exercise: a randomized clinical trial in overweight men. Circulation1986;74:939-44
  15. Hambrecht R, Wolf A, Gielen S, et al. Effect of exercise on coronary endothelial function in patients with coronary artery diseaseN Engl J Med 2000;342:454-60
  16. Berg A, Halle M, Franz I, et al. Physical activity and lipoprotein metabolism: epidemiological evidence and clinical trials. Eur J Med Res 1997;2:259-64
  17. Halle M, Berg A, von Stein T, et al. Lipoprotein(a) in endurance athletes, power athletes, and sedentary controlsMed Sci Sports Exerc 1996;28:962-6
  18. DuRant RH, Baranowski T, Rhodes T, et al. Association among serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations and physical activity, physical fitness, and body composition in young childrenJ Pediatr 1993;123:185-92
  19. Choudhary MK, Runlu S, Dahal S, Bhattarai R, Nepal R, Yuling Z. Plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol responses to endurance exercise training: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Clinical and Preventive Cardiology. 2020;9:10717.
  20. Adamopoulos S, Parissis J, Kroupis C, et al. Physical training reduces peripheral markers of inflammation in patients with chronic heart failureEur Heart J 2001;22:791-7
  21. Filgueira TO, Castoldi A, Santos LER, de Amorim GJ, de Sousa Fernandes MS, Anastácio WLDN, et al. The relevance of a physical active lifestyle and physical fitness on immune defense: mitigating disease burden, with focus on COVID-19 consequences. Front Immunol. 2021 Feb 5;12:587146.
  22. Warburton DER, Gledhill N, Jamnik V, et al. Induced hypervolemia, cardiac function, VO2max and performance of elite cyclists. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1999;31:800-8
  23. Warburton DE, Haykowsky MJ, Quinney HA, et al. Blood volume expansion and cardiorespiratory function: effects of training modality. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004;36:991-1000
  24. Gokce N, Vita JA, Bader DS, et al. Effect of exercise on upper and lower extremity endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol 2002;90: 124-7
  25. Kobayashi N, Tsuruya Y, Iwasawa T, et al. Exercise training in patients with chronic heart failure improves endothelial function predominantly in the trained extremitiesCirc J2003;67:505-10
  26. Hambrecht R, Gielen S, Linke A, et al. Effects of exercise training on left ventricular function and peripheral resistance in patients with chronic heart failure: a randomized trial. JAMA 2000;283:3095-101
  27. Da Silva MR, Waclawovsky G, Perin L, Camboim I, Eibel B, Lehnen AM, Effects of high-intensity interval training on endothelial function, lipid profile, body composition and physical fitness in normal-weight and overweight-obese adolescents: A clinical trial. Physiology & Behavior. 2020;213:112728.
  28. 28.0 28.1 Stephen Lord, Sally Castell Effect of exercise on balance, strength and reaction time in older people. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy, Volume 40, Issue 2, 1994, Pages 83-88
  29. Dunn AL, Trivedi MH, O'Neal HA. Physical activity dose–response effects on outcomes of depression and anxiety. [discussion 609-10]. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:S587-97