As a noun, exercise is physical activity done to keep your body healthy and strong, or a task done to practice a skill. As a verb, to exercise means to use a part of your body or a skill so it stays strong and improves.
It comes from Latin 'exercitium', meaning 'practice, training', from 'exercere' (to keep busy, train), from 'ex-' (out) and 'arcere' (to keep in or away). The idea was to keep something actively in use so it wouldn’t weaken.
Exercise is basically 'productive struggle'—you stress your muscles or mind just enough that they rebuild stronger. Whether it’s math exercises or push‑ups, the pain is a signal that growth is under construction.
Discourse around exercise has often been gendered, with women’s exercise framed more around appearance and thinness, and men’s around strength and performance. Certain forms of exercise and sports were long restricted for women under claims of fragility or propriety.
Use “exercise” in ways that value strength, health, and enjoyment for all genders, and avoid body-shaming or appearance-focused language. When giving examples, include a range of activities not stereotypically coded to one gender.
["physical activity","movement","workout","practice (for skills)"]
Women athletes, coaches, and researchers have challenged restrictive norms about women’s physicality, expanding access to sports and reshaping how exercise is understood across genders.
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