What exercise is and isn’t

I’ve discovered that people have differing options on what is exercise. I don’t really think of the 30 minute gentle Pilates/stretching I do every morning as exercise. A personal fitness trainer said he exercises five days a week, Monday through Friday, and on the weekends he runs. He’s not bad at math; he just doesn’t think of running as exercise. A woman said she wants her husband to exercise so she makes him do errands, which means he’s driving to places and picking up groceries and other items. A 21 year old said her exercise of choice is hot yoga. I don’t consider hot yoga as exercise; it’s more aligned with punishment. If Billy gets a bad grade let’s punish him by making him go to hot yoga with mom. “No! Not that. Anything but that,” virtual Billy says.

Getting up, driving around, walking around stores, shopping, getting the mail…you get the idea…that’s not exercise, that’s moving, but wait, exercise IS movement. Now I see the confusion. Per Wikipedia, the definition of “Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.” If that’s the case, then Pilates, yoga, walking and running are definitely exercise since they all work the heart, get the blood flowing, and build muscle. Unless you’re actually “running” errands, you’re not technically exercising.

Photo: Joe at CKO Kickboxing impressing me with his stretches