Maintaining a good level of physical fitness is something that we should all aspire to do.
But what does fitness actually entail? What does being physically fit mean?
Actually, fitness goes beyond being able to run long distances or lift heavy weights at the gym. Despite being important these attributes only address single areas of fitness. Thus, fitness is more than simply listing which activities you do or how long you do them for. So, what then is fitness? According to the U.S. Department of Health Services, physical fitness is defined as a set of attributes that people have or achieve that relate to the ability to perform physical activity. Simply put, it is the condition of being physically fit and healthy. And this is achieved through exercise and nutrition.
There are five main components of overall physical fitness and they are outlined as follows:
Cardio-respiratory fitness,
Muscular strength.
Muscular endurance
Body composition
Having overall fitness requires that you engage in physical exercises that cover these five components of physical fitness. Physical exercises can be rigorous sometimes but that is one of the ways to improve your health status. And just in case you are wondering what the benefits are, here are some fast facts about fitness:
Maintaining physical fitness can help word off a number of diseases. Physical fitness increases muscle strength by fiber hypertrophy and neural changes.
It helps to build and maintain healthy bones and joints.
Active and regular exercise helps reduce blood pressure thereby preventing hypertension in some cases.
Exercise increases cardiac rate and widen the blood vessel allowing the free flow of blood.
During exercise, the body metabolic rate is increased; this will be as a result of increased rate of blood circulation and respiration.
Dysmenorrheal is a medical term that connotes painful menstruation. Active exercise, especially few days to menstruation will reduce menstrual pain or at some times, stop it. Also, light exercise during the first two days of menstruation reduces menstruation pain.
Stretching to increase flexibility can ease a number of medical complaints.
It helps boost brain cells.
It reduces stress.
