Understanding the Concept of Fitness
Fitness is one of the most important aspects of human health that everyone should consider, irrespective of age, sex or any other factors. Being fit means that your body has all its components working in unison and as such, is able to efficiently carry out its various functions efficiently. The key to a healthy lifestyle is to adopt a balanced, low-fat, high-fibre diet, which is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and other healthy foods.
Fitness therefore, is a condition of physical well-being and, in particular, the ability to do physically demanding tasks, sports and other activities in a controlled way. Proper fitness is usually achieved through adequate sleep, light-intensity exercise, adequate nutrition and the right amount of rest. One of the key components that contribute to fitness is reaction time, which is measured by the time it takes for the athlete or exerciser to complete a movement. Reaction time can be improved through the use of hand-held electronic devices or by taking up sport or recreational activities such as skiing or other similar activities. Reactions are also measured using equipment such as speed-skates or treadmills.
Another important part of fitness involves aerobic exercise, which is defined as the process of burning energy in the body through respiration. Aerobics helps in improving circulation, lowers blood pressure, enhances lymph flow, reduces triglycerides, increases muscle strength, improves lymph drainage, increases muscular volume, decreases resting heart rate and improves overall health-related quality. Aerobic exercise therefore, is an important part of physical fitness.
Cardiovascular fitness means the ability of the heart to pump blood to all parts of the body, keeping it supplied with oxygen and fuel. Good cardiovascular health depends on the ability of the heart and lungs to get oxygen and fuel for the working of the muscles. This is achieved by regular exercise, which increases the heart’s size, strengthens the heart muscle, takes up weight and makes a person physically fit. It is also important to understand that a heart with an expanded size, stronger muscle and an expanded capacity for pumping oxygen to the bloodstream can only pump blood better. Thus, it is advisable to take up a varied amount of exercise in order to stay physically fit.
The fourth component of fitness is physical activity, which means any activity that makes the body move. Activities like jogging, walking, climbing stairs, bicycling, dancing, swimming, aerobics, playing sports and other exercises to strengthen and tone the heart and lungs. In fact, experts say that a healthy heart will function at its best when the heart and lungs have the required blood circulation and oxygen flow as well as support for the major organs of the body. If these organs are not strong enough to carry out their respective duties, we fall ill and become prone to many kinds of diseases. Thus, it is important to keep our hearts and lungs healthy at all times by taking up a varied amount of exercise.
Fitness is a combination of all these aspects, and no form of physical fitness can be complete without some form of good diet. A well-balanced diet full of proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and whole grains ensures the general fitness level. Hence, if we make the right choices while eating, we can keep ourselves fit and fine.