IS IT AN ACTIVITY OR EXERCISE?

My walk to work makes me think. Often busy people will say they do a lot of exercise but is it really just lots of activities? We credit independent old people with being able to perform the normal activities of daily living-ADLS. It means toiletting, dressing, washing, eating without assistance, things like that. The normal activities! But little kids do those things too and we would not consider them independent enough to live alone without help. We all perform many normal activities every day! I consider my walks to and from work exercise! The walking and climbing stairs at work I consider an activity of the job. For me, exercise is above and beyond the normal! Some activities burn calories and do help to build muscles. When does a little gardening-an activity become exercise. When  the muscles hurt? Perhaps when one goes at it for hours instead of a few minutes. Vacuuming is strenuous but is it exercise! My weight routine three times a week is exercise but is lifting a laundry basket, digging in the garden or dusting high places an activity or exercise. Dancing is a fun activity but it really is good exercise too! We are now being told that exercise will help with many areas of our lives- heart, reduce cholesterol, might help fend off Alzheimer's but is just lots of activities throughout the day equally as good? Keeping busy creatively, moving our bodies, getting off the couch could lead to more exercise! Does the heart rate need to increase to call it an exercise? Do we need to sweat? Do active people really do more exercise than inactive people? What is an active person? Some jobs take more activity throughout the day. A house painter performs an activity but is he really getting some good exercise? A teacher stands at the front of the classroom or bends over the student's desk, so what would we call it? A nurse may go up and down a hallway all day-so activity or exercise or just part of the job. Do feet have to ache to call it exercise? Or is it just not wearing proper footwear the culprit?  When can anyone brag that they do a lot of exercise? When one is busy? Normal activities will burn calories and build muscles. Not doing those activities can lead to muscle atrophy! People say they are always on the run! It does not make them a runner who could qualify for a marathon! So what do you think- activity or exercise? How do you fill your days?