The difference between “getting some exercise” and a workout …

If you’ve gotten in a little exercise today, that doesn’t mean you’ve completed a workout.

But if you completed a workout today, you did exercise.

Are you sufficiently confused?

The purpose of today’s post isn’t to confuse anyone, but clear up the fact there’s a real and significant difference between “getting some exercise” and engaging in a workout, the key difference usually being what your objective is (and, of course, the actual action taken).

First, there’s the action of exercising. When we refer to “getting some exercise,” we usually mean one of two things. It can mean intentionally engaging in some kind of physical activity — actual exercises, or other things like busy housework, gardening or yard work, sports or recreational activities, etc. — specifically to exercise our bodies for their proper care. The fact that every human being needs some level of daily physical activity to maintain their physical health has been taught so broadly and deeply that most people know that exercise needs to be a consistent part of caring for their fitness and health.

However, a big slice of the American population don’t expend the self-discipline — and just don’t care enough — to intentionally manage their health and fitness well by insuring exercise is a regular and adequate part of how they live … but they know they should. So, to “ease their conscience,” they’ll occasionally head out the door some time after dinner to “get some exercise” by taking a leisurely stroll around the block. The effort is so small and so inconsistent that there’s little benefit gained from it, but it makes the person feel better by saying they “got in a little exercise” this week.

Simply put, it’s basically self-deception.

But even when exercise is intentional, that doesn’t mean you’ve accomplished a workout. There are many people who purposely stay physically active enough to maintain their current level of fitness and health; that can be a good thing if you’re currently physically fit and healthy, but inadequate if you aren’t.

A workout is a planned set of exercises or activities to be engaged in on a regular basis in order to 1) maintain current levels of good health and fitness, 2) improve on your current level of physical fitness or health, 3) to target desired or needed specific improvements in fitness and/or health (for example, gain strength, build lean muscle, reduce weight, or improve balance or stability, etc.), 4) and other reasons for designing and engaging whole workouts could include training for physical activity such as sports, participating in a marathon, etc.

So, if you strolled around the block after dinner last night, you may or may not have exercised depending on what that stroll was like (a very slow meandering that didn’t budge the heat rate upward, or a more brisk pace that was was a basic level of cardiovascular exercise).

If, over the weekend, you mowed the lawn, worked in the garden, mopped and vacuumed floors, took the dog for a walk, and repaired the fence, you may have achieved the most basic level of a workout but you did, at least, “get some exercise.”

And if you started your Saturday with a two-mile jog, came home and worked out doing functional exercises and also using some bands for exercise, you got in a workout.

Key: Don’t fool yourself. If you’re getting in exercise everyday, I applaud you! If you need an ongoing workout regimen and you’re only occasionally getting a little exercise, don’t fool yourself into thinking the one accomplished the other.

Scotty