Physical activity, physical fitness and mental
health
Van Huffelen
Introduction
Exam
Multiple choice: 40-45 questions with correction for guessing
• 4-5 questions for each course
Rationale of physical activity
• Lack of physical activity and accumulation of sedentary time is causally related to the
development of chronic disease across the age span
• Lack of physical activity makes morbidity of chronic diseases worse
• Exercise training is an evidence-based treatment for many NCDs
• Physical activity and exercise training are core competencies for patients embedded in Core
Competency Profile
o Physical activity is a behavior (a choice), and health status is an important barrier
• With an aging population the maintenance of fitness and PA is a key area in ‘affordable ageing’
• Governmental incentives towards increased/maintained physical activity for all citizens
Improving mental health
• Both physical activity and fitness improve mental health
Assessment → intervention
,Physical activity and sedentary behavior
Background
Definition health (WHO)
• Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity
Leading mortality risks
• Hypertension
• Tobacco use
• High blood glucose
• Physical inactivity
• Overweight/obesity
PA and health
Physical health
• Prevention and management of chronic conditions
o Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal problems, some cancers
• Improving and maintaining physical function
o ADL, functional status, risk of falling, bone mineral density
London bus driver study: first study about negative effects of physical inactivity
Mental health and QoL
• Prevention and management of chronic conditions
o Anxiety, depression, cognitive function
Social health
• Loneliness → social connectedness
Summary
• Physical activity is associated with better health and health outcomes
• Lots of information and knowledge in popular media and in scientific papers
• Most information sources refer to PA or exercise, there are differences between the concepts
Definitions of physical activity and sedentary behavior
Physical activity
= Bodily movement that is produced by the contraction
of skeletal muscles that substantially increases energy
expenditure
• E.g.: Cycling, walking, household activities,
running, gardening
• Can be leisure, work or domestic
Exercise
= Planned structured, repetitive and purposeful in the
sense that it results in improvement and maintenance
of one or more components of physical fitness
• Subset of physical activity
• Often leisure
,Physical fitness
= A set of attributes that are either health or skill related
= The ability to perform muscular work satisfactorily
Don’t learn, just recognize
Sport
= Competitive activity undertaken in the context of rules defined by an international regulatory agency
• E.g.: chess is a sport, but not a physical sport
Different aspects of physical activity
, Sedentary behavior (SB)
= Any waking activity characterized by an energy expenditure < 1.5 metabolic equivalents and a sitting
or reclining posture
• SB ≠ lack of moderate-to-vigorous PA
o Evolution in definition
o E.g. elite athlete vs childcare worker
• Increasing PA ≠ reducing SB
• Asses both PA and SB
Dimensions of PA and SB
PA and SB are complex behaviors
• Assessing, describing and evaluating PA and SB is challenging
Complex relationships
Energy expenditure (EE)
Components
health
Van Huffelen
Introduction
Exam
Multiple choice: 40-45 questions with correction for guessing
• 4-5 questions for each course
Rationale of physical activity
• Lack of physical activity and accumulation of sedentary time is causally related to the
development of chronic disease across the age span
• Lack of physical activity makes morbidity of chronic diseases worse
• Exercise training is an evidence-based treatment for many NCDs
• Physical activity and exercise training are core competencies for patients embedded in Core
Competency Profile
o Physical activity is a behavior (a choice), and health status is an important barrier
• With an aging population the maintenance of fitness and PA is a key area in ‘affordable ageing’
• Governmental incentives towards increased/maintained physical activity for all citizens
Improving mental health
• Both physical activity and fitness improve mental health
Assessment → intervention
,Physical activity and sedentary behavior
Background
Definition health (WHO)
• Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity
Leading mortality risks
• Hypertension
• Tobacco use
• High blood glucose
• Physical inactivity
• Overweight/obesity
PA and health
Physical health
• Prevention and management of chronic conditions
o Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal problems, some cancers
• Improving and maintaining physical function
o ADL, functional status, risk of falling, bone mineral density
London bus driver study: first study about negative effects of physical inactivity
Mental health and QoL
• Prevention and management of chronic conditions
o Anxiety, depression, cognitive function
Social health
• Loneliness → social connectedness
Summary
• Physical activity is associated with better health and health outcomes
• Lots of information and knowledge in popular media and in scientific papers
• Most information sources refer to PA or exercise, there are differences between the concepts
Definitions of physical activity and sedentary behavior
Physical activity
= Bodily movement that is produced by the contraction
of skeletal muscles that substantially increases energy
expenditure
• E.g.: Cycling, walking, household activities,
running, gardening
• Can be leisure, work or domestic
Exercise
= Planned structured, repetitive and purposeful in the
sense that it results in improvement and maintenance
of one or more components of physical fitness
• Subset of physical activity
• Often leisure
,Physical fitness
= A set of attributes that are either health or skill related
= The ability to perform muscular work satisfactorily
Don’t learn, just recognize
Sport
= Competitive activity undertaken in the context of rules defined by an international regulatory agency
• E.g.: chess is a sport, but not a physical sport
Different aspects of physical activity
, Sedentary behavior (SB)
= Any waking activity characterized by an energy expenditure < 1.5 metabolic equivalents and a sitting
or reclining posture
• SB ≠ lack of moderate-to-vigorous PA
o Evolution in definition
o E.g. elite athlete vs childcare worker
• Increasing PA ≠ reducing SB
• Asses both PA and SB
Dimensions of PA and SB
PA and SB are complex behaviors
• Assessing, describing and evaluating PA and SB is challenging
Complex relationships
Energy expenditure (EE)
Components
