Types of Physical Activity

Type of Physical Activity	Health / fitness benefits	Common examples
Aerobic activity This refers to activities that utilise major muscles to perform sustained and rhythmic movement. Heart rate and breathing rate will be increased, and you may sweat sometimes.	Boost effectively cardiovascular endurance while promoting blood circulation and body coordination Appropriate aerobic exercise can also help to control weight and prevent from various chronic diseases	Running, hiking, swimming, cycling, dancing, etc. Football, basketball, tennis, badminton and table tennis, etc.
Muscle strengthening activity This exercise requires muscles to work progressively against external load. To improve fitness more effectively, the loading should be greater than that is used during usual practice.	Enhances muscle strength, and help firming and shaping one's body muscles Helps maintain bone density, and prevent osteoporosis Fosters correct posture Promotes metabolism Promotes muscle power, speed and reaction	Weight lifting/resistance exercises at the gymnasium (including bar-bell, dumbbell and weight machine exercises, etc.) Body weight exercise (e.g. push-ups, abdominal crunches, chin-ups and squats, etc.) Elastic-band exercise Sport climbing Heavy manual tasks in daily activities and/or works (e.g. moving furniture and gardening) Please visit website of Exercise Prescription Project for more muscle strengthening exercise demonstrations.
Stretching exercise This exercise refers to the stretching of joints to their full range of motion.	Increases flexibility of joints Reduces joint pain or muscle strain caused by excessive muscles tightness Prevents chronic low-back pain complaints Improves sport training quality and performance Reduces the chances of musculoskeletal overuse injury	Classical Stretching Exercise Yoga Pilates Fit-Ball Exercise

Type of Physical Activity

Health / fitness benefits

Common examples

Aerobic activity
This refers to activities that utilise major muscles to perform sustained and rhythmic movement. Heart rate and breathing rate will be increased, and you may sweat sometimes.

Boost effectively cardiovascular endurance while promoting blood circulation and body coordination
Appropriate aerobic exercise can also help to control weight and prevent from various chronic diseases

Running, hiking, swimming, cycling, dancing, etc.
Football, basketball, tennis, badminton and table tennis, etc.

Muscle strengthening activity
This exercise requires muscles to work progressively against external load. To improve fitness more effectively, the loading should be greater than that is used during usual practice.

Enhances muscle strength, and help firming and shaping one's body muscles
Helps maintain bone density, and prevent osteoporosis
Fosters correct posture
Promotes metabolism
Promotes muscle power, speed and reaction

Weight lifting/resistance exercises at the gymnasium
(including bar-bell, dumbbell and weight machine exercises, etc.)
Body weight exercise
(e.g. push-ups, abdominal crunches, chin-ups and squats, etc.)
Elastic-band exercise
Sport climbing
Heavy manual tasks in daily activities and/or works
(e.g. moving furniture and gardening)

Please visit website of Exercise Prescription Project for more muscle strengthening exercise demonstrations.

Stretching exercise
This exercise refers to the stretching of joints to their full range of motion.

Increases flexibility of joints
Reduces joint pain or muscle strain caused by excessive muscles tightness
Prevents chronic low-back pain complaints
Improves sport training quality and performance
Reduces the chances of musculoskeletal overuse injury

Classical Stretching Exercise
Yoga
Pilates
Fit-Ball Exercise

If you want to know more about your level of physical fitness, please visit the websites about fitness tests for assessing cardiovascular fitness and flexibility.