Aerobic physical activity | Activity in which the body’s large muscles move in a rhythmic manner for a sustained period of time. Aerobic activity—also called endurance activity—improves cardiorespiratory fitness. Examples include walking, running, swimming and bicycling. |
Balance training | Static and dynamic exercises that are designed to improve an individual’s ability to withstand challenges from postural sway or destabilising stimuli caused by self-motion, the environment or other objects. |
Bone-strengthening activity | Physical activity primarily designed to increase the strength of specific sites in bones that make up the skeletal system. Bone-strengthening activities produce an impact or tension force on the bones that promotes bone growth and strength. Examples include any type of jumps, running and lifting weights. |
Disability | From the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions, denoting the negative aspects of the interaction between an individual (with a health condition) and that individual’s contextual factors (environmental and personal factors). |
Domains of physical activity | Physical activities can be undertaken in various domains, including one of more of the following: leisure, occupation, education, home and/or transport. |
Household domain physical activity | Physical activity undertaken in the home for domestic duties (such as cleaning, caring for children, gardening, etc). |
Leisure-domain physical activity | Physical activity performed by an individual that is not required as an essential activity of daily living and is performed at the discretion of the individual. Examples include sports participation, exercise conditioning or training and recreational activities such as going for a walk, dancing and gardening. |
Light-intensity physical activity (LPA) | On an absolute scale, light intensity refers to physical activity that is performed between 1.5 and 3 METs. On a scale relative to an individual’s personal capacity, light-intensity physical activity is usually a 2–4 on a rating scale of perceived exertion scale of 0–10. Examples include slow walking, bathing or other incidental activities that do not result in a substantial increase in heart rate or breathing rate. |
Metabolic equivalent of task (MET) | The metabolic equivalent of task, or simply metabolic equivalent, is a physiological measure expressing the intensity of physical activities. One MET is the energy equivalent expended by an individual while seated at rest, usually expressed as mLO2/kg/min. |
Moderate- intensity physical activity (MPA) | On an absolute scale, moderate-intensity refers to the physical activity that is performed between 3 and <6 times the intensity of rest (METs). On a scale relative to an individual’s personal capacity, MPA is usually a 5 or 6 on a rating scale of perceived exertion scale of 0–10. |
Moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) | On an absolute scale, MVPA refers to the physical activity that is performed at >3 METs (ie, >3 times the intensity of rest). On a scale relative to an individual’s personal capacity, MPA is usually a 5 or above on a scale of 0–10. |
Multicomponent physical activity | Multicomponent physical activity are activities that can be done at home or in a structured group or class setting and combine all types of exercise (aerobic, muscle strengthening and balance training) into a session, and this has been shown to be effective. An example of a multicomponent physical activity programme could include walking (aerobic activity), lifting weights (muscle strengthening) and could incorporate balance training. Examples of balance training can include walking backwards or sideways or standing on one foot while doing an upper body muscle-strengthening activity, such as bicep curls. Dancing also combines aerobic and balance components. |
Occupation domain physical activity | See work domain physical activity. |
Physical activity (PA) | Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. |
Physical inactivity | An insufficient physical activity level to meet present physical activity recommendations. |
Recreational screen time | Time spent watching screens (television (TV), computer, mobile devices) for purposes other than those related to school or work. |
Sedentary screen time | Time spent watching screen-based entertainment while sedentary, either sitting, reclining or lying. Does not include active screen-based games where physical activity or movement is required. |
Sedentary behaviour | Any waking behaviour characterised by an energy expenditure of 1.5 METs or lower while sitting, reclining or lying. Most desk-based office work, driving a car and watching television are examples of sedentary behaviours; these can also apply to those unable to stand, such as wheelchair users. The guidelines operationalise the definition of sedentary behaviour to include self-reported low movement sitting (leisure time, occupational and total), TV viewing or screen time and low levels of movement measured by devices that assess movement or posture. |
Transport domain physical activity | Physical activity performed for the purpose of getting to and from places, and refers to walking, cycling and wheeling (ie, the use of non-motorised means of locomotion with wheels, such as scooters, roller-blades, manual wheelchair, etc). In some contexts, operation of a boat for transport could also be considered transport-related physical activity. |
Vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA) | On an absolute scale, vigorous intensity refers to physical activity that is performed at 6.0 or more METs. On a scale relative to an individual’s personal capacity, VPA is usually a 7 or 8 on a rating scale of perceived exertion scale of 0–10. |
Work domain physical activity | Physical activity undertaken during paid or voluntary work. |