According to the World Health Organization in 2021, 1 in 4 adults do not meet the globally recommended levels of physical fitness or activity. It was also stated that 80% of the world’s adolescent population is insufficiently physically active. These statistics are alarming, yet many pay little or no effort to their physical fitness.
A lot of people consider themselves to be physically fit when they have six packs or when they lose weight. However, physical fitness is not totally about that.
In simple terms, physical fitness is a state of health and well-being, characterized by the body’s ability to function effectively and efficiently in work and leisure activities, not only at a particular time but at various ages and stages in a person’s life.
Physical fitness is used in the context of two meanings: General fitness which is a state of health and well-being and specific fitness which refers to the ability to perform sports or occupational activities including agility, balance, coordination, speed, and reaction time.
In terms of health and well-being, there are 5 components to consider:
- Cardiorespiratory endurance
- Muscular strength
- Muscular endurance
- Body composition
- Flexibility
1. Cardiorespiratory endurance
Cardiovascular endurance has to do with how well the body can deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove waste during physical activity via the cardiovascular systems. The benefits include: the ease with which daily activities, like climbing stairs, walking, etc. are carried out without fatigue, well controlled weight and lowered risk of diseases like hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, some forms of cancers.
Cardiovascular endurance can be improved by engaging in exercises that raise the heart and breathing rates. They include:
- brisk walking
- dancing
- jogging
- running
- swimming
- aerobics, etc.
Check out The Holistique Drive exercise videos for cardiovascular exercises that can be carried out indoor.
2. Muscular strength
This deals with the ability of muscles to exert force for a brief period of time which helps in lifting and carrying heavy objects. Without muscular strength, the body will be weak and unable to keep up with the demand placed upon it. Increase in strength as well as size of muscles can be achieved by working the muscles consistently and regularly.
Some ways this can be achieved is through resistant training like weight lifting, body weight exercises, cycling and hill climbing.
3. Muscular Endurance
Endurance is the ability of a muscle to continue exerting force without tiring. Endurance training does not necessarily generate muscles of a larger size, it rather has to do with the body’s stamina.
It can be achieved by increasing the number of repetitions or by increasing the amount of time a contraction is held. The better the body’s endurance is, the less tired one becomes after a physical activity.
Examples of exercises that can improve muscular endurance include:
- Push-ups
- Planks
- Lunge
- Squats
- Abdominal crunch etc.
4. Body Composition
Body composition measures the relative amounts of body fat mass, muscle mass, bone, tissue and water. While the scale can tell how much one weighs, the body composition tells what makes up the weight.
Most of the time people on a weight loss plan who rely on weight measurements often find out that there is no change on the scale after a while, which may eventually lead to frustration and giving up. One needs to understand that the scale is just one data point and does not give the exact picture of what is happening.
A healthy balance of fat and muscle is what is important.
5. Flexibility
Flexibility is one very important but often overlooked component of physical fitness. It refers to the range of movement across a joint. Without flexibility there would be stiffness in a joint as well as predisposition to injury.
Flexibility may be increased through stretching and yoga; which is a whole body workout.
Additionally, recent recommendations suggest that adults engage in moderate-intensity physical activities for at least 30 minutes on five or more days of the week, or in vigorous-intensity physical activities three or more days per week, for 20 or more minutes per occasion. Below are tips on how to reach this goal:
- Engage in sports such as playing football, or swimming
- Workout in a gym
- Engage in home workouts
- Changes such as cycling, climbing the stairs and walking instead of driving can be incorporated
- Incorporate the above mentioned 5 components of physical fitness into your life as much as possible.
The important thing is to keep moving.
The importance of good nutrition in physical fitness cannot be overemphasized; drinking lots of water, high intake of fruits and vegetables, moderate portions of carbohydrates, protein, fats and oils.
Fitness is not a destination, it is a lifestyle, a journey and cannot be achieved in one day.
