Physical fitness

Physical fitness can be achieved through physical exercise.

Physical fitness is a general concept defined in many ways by differing scientists. Here two major categories are considered: general fitness (a state of health and well-being), and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations). Physical fitness is generally achieved through correct nutrition, exercise, hygiene, and rest.

Definitions

Physical fitness has been defined as a set of attributes or characteristics that people have or achieve that relates to the ability to perform physical activity..

Fitness

A US marine performing fitness routine.

The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports — a study group sponsored by the government of the United States—declines to offer a simple definition of physical fitness. Instead, it developed the following chart:

Physiological	Health related	Skill related	Sports
Metabolic Morphological Bone integrity Other	Body composition Cardiovascular fitness Flexibility Muscular endurance Muscle strength	Agility Balance Coordination Power Speed Reaction time Other	Team sport Individual sport Lifetime Other

A comprehensive fitness program tailored to an individual typically focuses on one or more specific skills, and on age- or health-related needs such as bone health. Many sources^{[citation needed]} also cite mental, social and emotional health as an important part of overall fitness. This is often presented in textbooks as a triangle made up of three points, which represent physical, emotional, and mental fitness. Physical fitness can also prevent or treat many chronic health conditions brought on by unhealthy lifestyle or aging. Working out can also help people sleep better. To stay healthy it is important to engage in physical activity.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control encourages the adult public, ages 18 to 64, to engage each week in at least one and a quarter hours of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or two and a half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity; that time can be met in any increments.

Diet is an important component to overall health that works best in combination with exercise.^{[citation needed]}

Training

Specific or task-oriented fitness is a person's ability to perform in a specific activity with a reasonable efficiency: for example, sports or military service. Specific training prepares athletes to perform well in their sports.

Examples are:

• 100 m sprint: in a sprint the athlete must be trained to work anaerobically throughout the race, an example of how to do this would be interval training.
• Marathon: in this case the athlete must be trained to work aerobically and their endurance must be built-up to a maximum.
• Many fire fighters and police officers undergo regular fitness testing to determine if they are capable of the physically demanding tasks required of the job.
• Soldiers of the United States Army must be able to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT).
• Hill sprints, this training requires a level of fitness to begin with, the exercise is particularly good for the leg muscles. The army often trains doing mountain climbing and races.

Menopause and Physical Fitness

The menopausal period in women is frequently associated with many subjective complaints including vasomotor symptoms, sleep disturbance, alteration in mood, lowered libido, and musculoskeletal pain. All of these symptoms could lead to a lower quality of life. Physical Fitness has the ability to alleviate or even eliminate the effect of most of these. Women experiencing their menopausal period should engage in regular exercise to achieve better physical fitness.

See also

• Bodybuilding
• CPR
• Exergaming
• Harvard Step Test
• Health club
• National Academy of Sports Medicine
• Neutral spine
• Obesity
• Olympic Games
• Personal Trainer
• Physical exercise
• Physical fitness test
• Powerlifting
• VO2 max
• Walking

Further reading

• 2004 September 21. Medical News Today. The Benefits of Physical Activity
• Brandon, Leigh (2009). Anatomy of Strength and Fitness Training for Speed. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-163363-5. 

External links

• HealthierUS.gov Official website
• President's Council on Physical Fitness