Questions: Exercise and Being Active

Question 1

Which of these counts as exercise?

• A. Only playing on a sports team
• B. Only running laps at school
• C. Any activity where you move your body — playing, dancing, biking, walking
• D. Only lifting weights at a gym

Answer: (C)

Exercise is any activity that gets your body moving. Playing tag, dancing to music, riding a bike, swimming, climbing at the playground — they all count. You do not need a gym or a team. What matters is that you are moving your body regularly.

Question 2

Exercise primarily helps your muscles.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Exercise helps your whole body, not just your muscles. It makes your heart stronger so it can pump blood more easily. It makes your bones harder and tougher. It helps your lungs work better. It even helps your brain — exercise helps you think more clearly, feel happier, and sleep better at night.

Question 3

How does exercise help your heart?

Model answer: When you exercise, your heart beats faster and works harder to pump blood to your muscles. Over time, this makes your heart muscle stronger, so it can pump more blood with each beat and does not have to work as hard during normal activities.

Your heart is a muscle, and like any muscle, it gets stronger when it works hard regularly. A stronger heart pumps more blood with fewer beats, which means it is more efficient. This is why people who exercise regularly often have slower resting heart rates — their hearts are strong enough that each beat does more work.