Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that result in energy expenditure. The energy expenditure can be measured in kilocalories. Physical activity in daily life can be categorized into occupational, sports, conditioning, household, or other activities. Exercise is a subset of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive and has as a final or an intermediate objective the improvement or maintenance of physical fitness. Physical fitness is a set of attributes that are either health-or-skill-related. These area include Fitness Centers, Fitness Instruction, Pilates, Health and Fitness Coaching, and Health Education.
Fitness Centers are the present incarnation of a health practice that dates back almost 3,000 years and is commonly referred to as gymnasiums. The word gymnasium is an incarnation of a Greek phrase that means “to exercise naked.” Ancient gymnasiums would have resembled a track and field facility featuring running, discus, javelin, and wrestling. They were only available to men living in ancient Greece. The Greeks trained for two main purposes, to improve military skills and to form their ideal male physique. After the Greco-Roman collapse may centuries would pass before gymnasiums would be reintroduced to society. During the Renaissance, medieval manuscripts were discovered that described the health benefits of utilizing gymnasiums for exercise. This allowed renaissance doctors to recommend them to address the obesity epidemic that was common in the aristocracy of the time, albeit unsuccessfully.
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