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Physical Activity as a Vital Sign
Physical activity refers to any active movement of the body (e.g., walking, household tasks, structured exercise) and represents a fundamental function of our organism. Its importance is so significant that, in recent years, an international movement has emerged advocating for physical activity to be included among the core vital signs (temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure).
This means that every time our health is assessed, in addition to measuring the traditional vital signs, our level of physical activity should also be evaluated. Physical activity can be assessed using the following two questions:
- During a typical week in the past 30 days, on how many days per week did you engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity (e.g., brisk walking, running, jogging, dancing, swimming, cycling, or other activities that cause light to heavy sweating)?
- On the days you engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity, how many minutes, on average, did you spend doing it?
This allows us to calculate total minutes of physical activity per week (e.g., 3 days × 30 minutes = 90 minutes/week).
What Is Considered “Normal” Physical Activity?
Just as traditional vital signs have normal reference values, physical activity should reach at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. A simple way to remember this is 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week.
Why Is Regular Physical Activity So Important?
Regular physical activity:
- Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
- Helps regulate body weight and blood sugar levels
- Improves blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Enhances mood
- Keeps us functional and independent as we age
In contrast, a sedentary lifestyle increases mortality risk—even among otherwise healthy individuals.
Why Should Physical Activity Be Considered a Vital Sign?
When we measure something, we assign value to it. By treating physical activity as a vital sign:
- We acknowledge it as a fundamental determinant of health
- We identify at-risk individuals early
- We can intervene with personalized counseling to increase physical activity levels
Measure your physical activity today!
Theodoros Papasavvas, MSc, PhD
Physiotherapist
