When you hear the word fitness, what probably comes to mind is the gym or the monkey bars in the nearby park. But is that all there is to fitness, or does it have a deeper meaning that we don’t really understand?
Well, let’s start here – If you look at the body objectively, you’ll come to find out that it was built for high performance.
The skeletal-muscular system, which is quite complex, works in synergy with all other internal systems to ultimately allow you to do various movements.
As a matter of fact, fitness was quite natural for most of human existence, as we did not really have big cities and easy food around every corner. Living in nature led to the complex development of the human body and its components and systems.
That is to say that while fitness is something that makes you look good, in the past, it was a survival trait – Something that helped you thrive and survive. In modern society we have numerous techniques, machines, programs, and classes to develop the body in modern society. Increasing fitness has never been more accessible.
But before you get under the bar, let us define the word “fitness.” By definition, fitness is the condition of being healthy and in good physical shape. Fitness can change its meaning if you put it in the context of a particular competitive sport. Still, in case you are not training for a specific discipline, fitness isn’t just strength or looks.
Instead, it is the physical ability of an individual to endure a multitude of different physical tasks.
Think about it: Humans can run, swim, sprint, climb, crawl, jump, push, pull, cycle, hike, dive, juggle, dance, and overall, we can move our bodies in various ways.
Indeed, visual and strength development is best achieved through weight and bodyweight training. Still, we shouldn’t really limit fitness to just a couple of exercises, given the wide variety of movements we can do. The more movements you can do, the higher your level of fitness. More importantly, the better the level of enjoyment you get from your body.
Again, unless you are a competitive athlete, limiting yourself to developing just a couple of physical qualities is not your best bet. It would be like having an outstanding, thorough-bred racehorse and only allowing it to only pull your wagon.
Learn more about the body, its muscles, its internal systems and put them to use.
Don’t be afraid to do cardio, and don’t be scared to lift weights, climb, jump, sprint, and swim. These are just functions that will make you feel, look, and perform better when developed. Enjoy the wide variety of movements and flow you can achieve with the most incredible biological tool in our known universe – The body.
Fitness can be classified into three types
Aerobic fitness is a type of physical fitness. Aerobic exercises enhance your heart and lungs. The term “aerobic” means “containing oxygen.” Aerobic conditioning aims to increase the amount of oxygen delivered to your muscles, allowing them to work for more extended periods. Any activity that raises and maintains your heart rate for an extended period will improve your aerobic conditioning.
Muscle strengthening. Stronger muscles are more powerful muscles that can cope with larger tasks, such as lifting heavier weights. Or muscles that can work for extended periods before becoming exhausted (endurance). Weight training (resistance training) and simple exercises such as push-ups are two muscle strengthening exercises.
Flexibility. Flexibility, like aerobic fitness and muscle strengthening, is a result of physical activity. Stretching promotes flexibility. When you use your muscles, they are repeatedly shortened, especially when you exercise. They must be slowly and regularly stretched to compensate for the repeated shortening caused by other activities.
Understanding the differences between the various types of fitness will assist you in setting fitness goals. It is critical to strike a balance between the three because they influence each other and contribute to overall fitness.
Some physical activities necessitate more than one type of fitness. Some aerobic exercise activities, for example, also help to strengthen muscles (swimming, cycling, jogging).
THIS is fitness.