Page 57 - project_booklet

P A R T 1
Physical Activity and Its Components

Concepts such as sports, physical activity and exercise are unfortunately used interchangeably today, and
in daily life, the masses define the physical activity they do as sports. Sport is a technical and physical effort
to win for athletes, and an aesthetic process based on competition for spectators (Fişek, 2003). While
sports often involve some form of competition, physical activity and exercise are often done for health
promotion. Planned, structured and repetitive movements to increase one or more components of
physical fitness are defined as exercise (Powers & Dodd, 2018).
Physical activity, in its simplest definition, is the movement of the body to expend energy. Physical activity
can be defined as activities that occur with energy consumption by using our muscles and joints in daily
life, increase heart and respiratory rate and result in fatigue at different intensities (Turkey Physical Activity
Guide, (TFAR) 2014). In short, everything we do physically in our daily life is physical activity. Our physical
activity process starts from the moment we get out of bed in our daily life. We can say that we are
physically active depending on the energy we spend on getting up, walking, washing our face, having
breakfast, taking care of house and garden chores or during the work process we make a living.
However, when all these activities are not done consciously and planned, their positive effects on human
health in the long run are discussed. The effect of physical activity can last for a few days or up to a year.
Frequency, duration and intensity of physical activity, which are called physical activity components, affect
this situation. We can briefly explain these components as follows (Broadhurst, 2012).
a) Frequency of physical activity: It is important that physical activity be frequent and regular in order to
see the effect of physical activity on health. The frequency of activity should be at least three times a week.
b) Duration of physical activity: As the duration of activity increases, its effects increase. One of the most
common suggestions is 30 minutes a day, as it will be done by dividing it into periods during the day.
c) Intensity of physical activity: The higher the intensity of a physical activity, the greater the effect, but
excessive intensity may cause some negative effects. For example, this density should be less in elderly
individuals.

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