Physical activity, physical fitness, and health

Interest in the healthful effects of physical activity dates back to ancient times, but scientific study of the issue did not receive emphasis until the end of the 19th century. Early studies focused on physiology, and, in fact, three exercise physiologists (August Krogh, A.V. Hill, and Otto Meyerhof) received Nobel Prizes in the early 1920s for their research (Montoye, 1992). In the 1989 McCloy Lecture, Professor Park (1990) provided an excellent review of early scientific studies of exercise. Montoye extended these observations by including more recent reports on the relation of physical inactivity to health and disease. This report examines recent evidence on the relations between physical activity, physical fitness, and health and draws conclusions about the possible causal nature of these associations. It also evaluates the public health burden of sedentary lifestyles in the United States and provides suggestions and recommendations for increasing participation in physical activity in the population.