Jogging provides a high-intensity aerobic exercise, but can lead to orthopedic injury. If jogging is desired, the patient's ability to do this must first be assessed. The availability of a safe environment for the jogger is also a necessity. Competitive sports, such as tennis and volleyball, can provide an enjoyable form of physical activity for many, but again, care must be taken to avoid injury, especially in older people. As the examples listed in Table IV-4 show, a moderate amount of physical activity can be achieved in a variety of ways.
People can select activities that they enjoy and that fit into their daily lives.
A moderate amount of physical activity is roughly equivalent to physical activity that uses approximately 150 calories of energy per day or 1,000 calories per week. A regimen of daily walking is an attractive form of physical activity for many people, particularly those who are overweight or obese. With this regimen, an additional 100 to 200 calories per day of physical activity can be expended. This regimen can be adapted to other forms of physical activity, but walking is particularly attractive because of its safety and accessibility. With time, a larger weekly volume of physical activity can be performed that would normally cause a greater weight loss if it were not compensated by a higher caloric intake.