PHYSICAL EXERCISE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does physical exercise mean? 

• PHYSICAL EXERCISE (noun)
  The noun PHYSICAL EXERCISE has 1 sense:

1. the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit

  Familiarity information: PHYSICAL EXERCISE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PHYSICAL EXERCISE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

exercise; exercising; physical exercise; physical exertion; workout

Context example:

the physical exertion required by his work kept him fit

Hypernyms ("physical exercise" is a kind of...):

effort; elbow grease; exertion; sweat; travail (use of physical or mental energy; hard work)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "physical exercise"):

cardiopulmonary exercise (exercise intended to strengthen the circulatory system)

gymnastic exercise ((gymnastics) an exercise designed to develop and display strength and agility and balance (usually performed with or on some gymnastic apparatus))

kick up (raising the feet backward with the hands on the ground; a first movement in doing a handstand)

exercise set; set (several exercises intended to be done in series)

anaerobic exercise; bodybuilding; muscle building; musclebuilding (exercise that builds muscles through tension)

calisthenics; callisthenics (light exercises designed to promote general fitness)

isometric exercise; isometrics (muscle-building exercises (or a system of musclebuilding exercises) involving muscular contractions against resistance without movement (the muscles contracts but the length of the muscle does not change))

isotonic exercise (exercise in which opposing muscles contract and there is controlled movement (tension is constant while the lengths of the muscles change))

Kegel exercises; pubococcygeus exercises (exercises for women designed to improve the ability to hold urine)

stretch; stretching (exercise designed to extend the limbs and muscles to their full extent)

arm exercise (exercise designed to strengthen the arm muscles)

back exercise (exercise designed to strengthen the back muscles)

leg exercise (exercise designed to strengthen the leg muscles)

neck exercise (exercise designed to strengthen the neck muscles)

stomach exercise; tummy crunch (an exercise designed to strengthen the abdominal muscles)

yoga (a system of physical, breathing and meditation exercises practiced to promote control of the body and mind)

 Context examples 

Physical exercise is probably the best brain drug we have.

(Exercise May Help Seniors with Word, Memory Problems, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Adherence to a healthy lifestyle was based on four factors: non-smoker, diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish, not overweight or obese (body mass index less than 30), and regular physical exercise.

(A healthy lifestyle cuts stroke risk, irrespective of genetic risk, University of Cambridge)

Oriental medicine includes acupuncture, diet, herbal therapy, meditation, physical exercise, and massage.

(Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, NCI Dictionary)

Research has shown that physical exercise stimulates production of a brain-derived nerve growth factor capable of staving off brain aging in apes.

(Exercise May Help Seniors with Word, Memory Problems, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)