How fit are you?

When you think of being fit, you might be imagining a perfect “Hollywood” body or hourglass figure for women and bulky muscles for men. Being fit is not all about how you look.

A person who is physically fit is capable of performing and enjoying daily activities. The importance of being physically fit cannot be understated. More people are at risk to cardiovascular diseases, depression, obesity, hypertension, and other health issues because of their fitness level.

There are many factors that affect fitness. These include your environment, job, age, gender, build, diet, exercise, stress, drugs taken, and any existing illness or health condition. Lack of activity can lead to chronic diseases and serious medical conditions.

Physical fitness is a measure of the body’s ability to function effectively and efficiently in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, resist illnesses, and to meet emergency situations. A person who is fit is capable of living life to its fullest.

5 Components of Physical Fitness

To better understand and achieve physical fitness, it is important that you learn its components. Health-related physical fitness components include:

Body composition. A person must have a balanced ratio of fat to muscle. Minimum of fat and maximum of lean mass is a sign of a healthy and fit body.
Muscular strength. This helps you lift and carry heavy objects. Without muscular strength, your body would be weak and unable to keep up with the demands placed upon it.
Muscular endurance. Endurance is the ability of your muscles to perform contractions for extended periods of time.
Cardiovascular fitness. This helps determine if the heart and lungs are working in coordination. It shows the ability of the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove wastes.
Flexibility. This checks the ability of the joints in the body to move to their full range of motion.

How to be Physically Fit?

Becoming physically fit requires a change in lifestyle. Start doing ANYTHING that involves moving. Connect working out to a habit that they do everyday (ie brushing teeth: before they brush I have them do 1 minute of exercise to start). The habit triggers a workout starting point. Also, make sure that you spend more time outdoors in the sun, have fresh air, take part in more healthy activities, and get adequate rest and sleep.

While these are easy and practical ways to improve your fitness, it is imperative that you seek the guidance and support of our clinic. This way, you can be tested and assured that you are doing everything right.