What’s the Difference Between Physical Activity and Physical Fitness?

When people talk about getting fit or staying more active, they tend to use the terms physical activity and physical fitness interchangeably as though they are the same. They are not. The distinction between physical activity and physical fitness is actually pretty important, especially when you are trying to improve your well-being, your fitness objectives, or just stay active as you get older.

A breakdown in a manner that makes sense (no science lecture vibes).

What Is Physical Activity?

Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. Walking the dog? That’s physical activity. Doing yard work? Yep. Chasing your kid around the park? Also counts.

You don’t require a gym or specialty equipment for it. Physical activity encompasses all the physical movement you accomplish in a day, whether dancing around in the kitchen, walking up and down stairs, or carrying bags of groceries. It is not only exercise, which is a type of structured physical activity.

Types of Physical Activity

The following are a few well-known types:

• Aerobic activity (walking, running, swimming)
• Strength-building (lifting, resistance bands, bodyweight exercises)
• Flexibility and balance (yoga, stretching)
• Daily functional movement (cleaning, standing up, squatting)

Even sweeping your house or walking around after dinner counts as physical activity. The aim is movement, any type, any quantity.

What Is Physical Fitness?

Physical fitness, by contrast, is all about how your body actually performs. It’s the quantifiable effect of all that activity. So if activity is the doing, fitness is the outcome.

It manifests in things like:

• How long do you jog before tiring
• How much can you lift
• Your flexibility and balance
• Your rate of recovery

In short, physical fitness is your body’s capacity to perform physical tasks with energy and strength and recover afterward. It’s something you develop over time with regular movement.

Components of Physical Fitness

There are 5 components:

• Cardiovascular endurance: how efficiently your heart and lungs function
• Muscle strength: how much weight you can lift or push
• Muscular endurance: for how long your muscles will continue to work
• Flexibility: for how far your joints will move
• Body composition: your ratio of body fat to muscle

Physical Activity vs Fitness: Why the Mix-Up?

Now it gets confusing for individuals. You can be physically active without being physically fit, and conversely.

Example: You may take your dog out daily (active), but have poor cardio endurance or strength (low fitness).

Or perhaps you’re conditioned after doing workouts for years, but now you spend all day at the office sitting and not being as active as much anymore (low levels of activity). 

That’s why fitness professionals emphasize the distinction in programs, apps, and one-on-one coaching. Knowing the gap allows individuals to have more realistic expectations. 

 In the U.S., Why Does It matter?

In the United States, almost 80% of adults fail to live up to the guidelines for muscle-strengthening and aerobic physical activity, the CDC reports. That’s concerning, given that heart disease, obesity, and stress levels are on the increase.

And the catch: Most Americans believe that spending 30 minutes at the gym will qualify them. But if you’re sedentary for the remaining 23.5 hours, that’s not enough to develop physical fitness.

Health Benefits of Physical Activity

• Improves heart health and reduces blood pressure
• Supports mental health and decreases anxiety
• Aids in weight management and blood sugar control
• Enhances mobility, sleep, and energy
• It’s not about gym obsession, it’s about incorporating movement into your daily routine.

Pros & Cons Breakdown

• Physical Activity
• Physical Fitness
• Simple to initiate at any time
• Demonstrates real improvement over time
• Low hurdle, no equipment necessary
• Increases overall performance & health
• May not translate to fitness unless done regularly
• Requires time and effort to develop
• Doesn’t always follow strength/cardio progress
• It can be daunting for beginners

Examples of Physical Activity and Fitness in the Real World

Let’s make it even clearer with easy examples.

Examples of Physical Activity:

• Walking the dog
• Gardening
• Dancing in your living room
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
• Playing tag with your kids

These are perfect for staying fit, especially if you’re not a fan of formal exercise.

Examples of Physical Fitness:

• Running a mile without stopping
• Doing 20 push-ups with good form
• Holding a 60-second plank
• Being able to hike uphill without feeling winded
• Squatting with proper technique and control

These reflect your body’s physical capability, not just your willingness to move, but how strong and efficient that movement is.

Why the Difference Matters for Your Health Goals

If you’re trying to lose weight, get strong, or just get through the day without feeling exhausted, understanding this difference matters. You might be working out all day, every day, but if you’re not working out at an intensity that will challenge your body to adapt and get stronger, you won’t really get more fit.

That’s the difference between someone who walks 5,000 times a day but isn’t able to run for more than 60 seconds, and someone who does resistance training, runs a couple of times a week, and has more energy.

It’s not one over the other; it’s doing both together to build a healthier body.

 U.S. Guidelines for Activity & Fitness

Here’s what the CDC advises for American adults:

• 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week (cycling, brisk walking)
• + 2 sessions of muscle-strengthening activity per week (bodyweight, resistance bands, weights)

This combination maintains the levels of physical activity and develops actual physical fitness in the long run.

Tip: Break it up throughout your week. You don’t have to do it all at once. Even 10-minute movement breaks throughout your day can make a difference.

 The Value of Remaining Active

Physical health is not a matter of perfection. It’s a matter of consistency. Regular activity:

• Enhances your mood
• Increases immune function
• Decreases long-term disease risk
• Enhances quality of life, particularly as you get older

If you sit a lot at the office (and let’s face it, most of us do), even brief walks, stretching, or chair workouts can make a huge impact. Don’t underestimate those daily movement snacks.

 U.S. Specific Fitness Recommendation

For the majority of Americans, it should be a combination of movement and performance:

• Start with some daily physical activity: walking, cycling, and household tasks.
• Include formal exercise programs 2-3 times a week (weakness, HIIT, yoga, etc.)
• Use the free options like Nike Training Club, FitOn, or find videos on YouTube in case gyms do not seem your cup of tea.

Pro tip: Walking tracks, community recreational parks, and centres in your neighbourhood are good low-budget fitness resources, especially in the suburban and urban areas of the U.S.

Wrap up

So what’s the takeaway?

• Physical activity is your daily movement.
• The level of performance of your body is physical fitness.

You need both to maintain long-term health, especially in the modern U.S. way of life, when the majority of the population spends excessive time in the sitting position and insufficient time in the standing position.

Start with movement, add smart training, and have your fitness grow as time goes on. You need not complicate things; just keep moving.

Citations

Obesity Medicine Association. (2025, January 6). Physical fitness and physical activity. Obesity Medicine Association. https://obesitymedicine.org/blog/physical-fitness-and-physical-activity/