Fitness For Health and Wellness
Fitness is a condition of physical well-being and, in particular, the power to do specific aspects of activities, sports and occupations without risk. Fitness is normally achieved through adequate rest, proper nutrition, appropriate physical activity, and adequate hydration. There are various ways to define what constitutes “fitness”, but some of the most common include: being physically fit, being emotionally fit, or having a balanced fitness program. All of these are important components of a well-balanced life.
One important component of fitness is exercise. Exercise is a natural way to remain healthy by working the heart and lungs, burning calories, improving circulation, improving flexibility and strengthening the muscles. When an individual decides to embark on an exercise program, it is essential to consult your doctor to ensure that it is both safe and effective for you. It is also wise to consider a program that matches your lifestyle; an active life style, or a sedentary life style, for example, would entail very different exercise routines and intensity levels than an inactive lifestyle.
The amount of physical fitness you have is a combination of how healthy your body is and how long you can maintain your current level of activity. The best way to increase your endurance is through exercise and, specifically, strength training. Strength training exercises build endurance in the muscles of your body and increase your endurance in a particular activity. You will begin to see improvements in your endurance levels in no time at all. These improvements will be seen as a decline in your perceived level of exertion (your perceived level of effort / difficulty) and a corresponding increase in your metabolic rate.
Cardiovascular exercises or aerobic activity has been shown to be extremely beneficial to overall wellness and an individual’s physical fitness program. Cardiovascular exercises should be done on a regular basis and should be done with plenty of breaks during the activity so as not to completely exhaust your cardiovascular system. It is also advisable to incorporate a proper diet into any cardio activity so as to provide you with the nutrients you need in addition to consuming the necessary calories to support your activity.
Anaerobic (or anaerobic) activities are those involving high intensity, repetitive motions that require that your body use up energy before it can be repeated again. This activity is usually associated with sports such as weightlifting, rowing, running, basketball and cycling. Anaerobic activities do not require the same amount of energy (calories) as aerobic activities do and therefore can help to maintain a healthy body weight even when on a diet. There is some debate between whether or not a high intensity level of activity is necessarily good for your health. Most fitness experts agree however, that overall health does improve with high levels of activity and exercise.
If you are trying to get fit and you are unsure where to begin, consider starting with an exercise routine that you can stick with. You may already have a regular exercise regime that you enjoy so try incorporating this into your fitness plan. If not, take it slowly at first and work your way up to incorporating more physical exercise into your daily routine. Remember, fitness takes time and consistency. Work hard on your fitness plan and enjoy the process and you will reap the benefits of a healthy body.