Physical fitness is important for people of all ages, ages 5 and up and all fitness levels. Fitness is based on a variety of factors including a person’s genetics, your body’s metabolism, and your ability to perform exercise.
In addition to being important for physical fitness, fitness can help people manage stress and improve their ability to cope with stress as well.
The most important physical fitness variables are body weight, height, and body mass index.
Table of contents
- What is physical fitness?
- Importance of physical fitness
- What is physical activity?
- What is physical activity plan
- Benefits of physical activity
- Importance of physical fitness
- Physical fitness components
- 5 components of physical fitness
- Types of physical fitness
- Physical fitness exercises
What is physical fitness?
Physical fitness has been defined as the ability of your body systems to work together efficiently to allow you to be healthy and perform activities of daily living. Your efficiency means doing daily activities with the lowest effort possible. A person that is fit will be able to perform schoolwork, attends to home responsibilities, and still retain enough energy to enjoy sport and other leisure activities.
As a fit person, there's effective response to normal life scenarios, such as raking the leaves at home, shelves stocking at a part-time job, and marching in your band at school.
A fit person can also respond to State of emergency - for instance, running to get help or helping a friend in distress.
Being physically fit is often associated with being healthy. But being physically fit means more than just being healthy.
Being physically fit also means having the strength, endurance, and agility to meet the physical challenges life throws our way. Being physically fit means having a body that can function at its best and deliver the greatest possible performance in the activities we love to do.
Being physically fit is more than just having a certain body type or being able to run marathons. It’s about improving your health and well-being, both physically and mentally.
Being physically fit means having the ability to perform a variety of physical activities, regardless of your age or current fitness level.
It also means being healthy enough to enjoy life, without being limited by physical or mental disabilities.
Fitness is an important aspect of physical health and is essential for all adults. In terms of the level of fitness required for individuals to be able to do the activities of daily life, a healthy body is one that can withstand prolonged physical exertion.
Importance of physical fitness
Before we dive into the importance of physical fitness, let's take a cut to physical activity.
What is physical activity?
Experts defined physical activity as any voluntary bodily movement initiated by skeletal muscles that requires energy use. Physical activity involves all activities, at any section, performed during any time of day or night. It includes both exercises and incidental activity we do on daily routine.
Physical activity plays an important role in the lives of many people, especially in the least privileged sections of our society.
- It is a form of self-expression that can help in the development of physical fitness.
- It is also an outlet that is capable of aiding in managing stress and offering a platform for sport and recreation.
- It is a way of life and an essential part of the human condition.
- Physical activity is necessary to increase fitness levels and to prevent or manage many chronic diseases.
Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle.
The United States Department of Health and Human Service (2007) reported that the number of Americans who are obese increased during the year of 2000.
What is physical activity plan
A physical activity plan is a plan that includes a variety of physical activities and activities that are easy enough for people to do that they can maintain.
Physical activity has been linked to many aspects of happiness and health including physical fitness.
Benefits of physical activity
The benefits of physical activity include:
- weight loss
- Improvements in mental health
- Reduction in risk of a heart attack
- Better management of weight
- Having lower level of blood cholesterol
- Reduces high blood pressure
- Enhanced bones, muscles and joints
- lower risk of falling
- You recover fast and better from periods of bed rest
- Access to feel good – with more power, a good mood, more relaxed and have a better sleep.
Now, we can continue with the importance of physical fitness
Importance of physical fitness
One’s overall physical fitness level is a key determinant of overall health and well-being.
It has been shown that being fit can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and a number of other illnesses.
In addition, being fit can increase one’s life expectancy and reduce the risk of developing many chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and depression.
A lack of physical fitness is also associated with a number of other health conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
Being physically fit can also improve your mental health, by reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression and improving your mood.
It can also help you in feeling better and improve your quality of life.
The quality of life is a major factor in the well-being of an individual. One of the major contributors to one’s quality of life is physical fitness. It is important to remain physically fit throughout one’s life.
The longer one remains physically fit, the healthier and happier one becomes.
Fitness is important for everyone, but it is particularly crucial for teens. Adolescence is a time of major physical and emotional change, and teens need to be physically fit to deal with the challenges of being young.
Teens may find that they gain weight or lose muscle mass if they are not physically active. They also need to be physically active to stay strong and healthy.
Good health depends on more than just being physically fit. It also requires being physically fit. As stated, Physical fitness is the condition of the body that allows it to perform physical activities such as running, swimming, and dancing. It involves regular exercise, good nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle.
It is well known that good physical fitness is necessary for maintaining good health. However, the benefits of being physically fit go much further than just keeping the doctor away.
A number of studies have shown that physical fitness is also correlated with better academic performance and even better job performance. This is because being physically fit helps you think faster, remember more and perform better under stress.
Physical fitness components
Here, I'll be explaining the:
5 components of physical fitness
Which are:
- Cardiovascular endurance: The ability of the heart and lungs to work together and give the needed oxygen and fuel to the body during sustained workloads. Examples are jogging, cycling and swimming.
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| Jogging |
- Muscular strength: The maximum force a muscle can produce. Examples of these are the bench press, leg press or bicep curl.
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| Leg press |
- Muscular endurance: The ability of the muscles to perform continuously without any form of fatigue. Examples include cycling, elliptical machines and step machines.
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| Cycling |
- Flexibility: The ability of each joint to move in the available range of motion for a specified joint. Examples include: stretching individual muscles or performing certain functional movements such as the lunge.
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| Yoga |
- Body composition: The quantity of fat mass compared to lean muscle mass, bone and organs. This can be measured with the use of underwater weighing, Skinfold readings, and bioelectrical impedance. Underwater weighing is considered the “gold standard” for the body fat measurement, however because of size and cost of the equipment needed, very few places are set up to carry out this kind of measurement.
Types of physical fitness
- Speed: The ability to move faster. Example can be a 400 meters runner that improves his time of running.
- Physical intelligence(kinesthetic intelligence): maintaining the body for Accuracy and Precision. Engaging in sports activity is an example.
Physical fitness exercises
- Lunges
Challenging yourself in balance is a great part of a well-rounded exercise table. Lunges do that, enhancing functional movement, while increasing strength in your legs and glutes.
How to:
- Begin by standing on your feet with shoulder-width apart and arms down at your sides.
- You take a step forward with your right leg and bend your right knee, as you do so, stopping when your thigh is parallel to the ground. Check that your right knee doesn’t extend past your right foot.
- Push up off your right foot and go back to the starting position. Repeat with your left leg. This is the first rep.
- Complete 10 more reps for 3 sets.
- Pushups
Do 20! Pushups are one of the most basic, but effective, body weight moves you can perform. reason is the number of muscles that are recruited to perform them.
How to:
- Begin in a plank position. Your core should be tight, your neck neutral, shoulders pulled down and back.
- Bend your elbows then start lowering your body to the floor. When your chest touches it, extend your elbows then return to the beginning. Aim at keeping your elbows close to your body during the movement.
- Finish up 3 sets of as many reps as you can.
If you can’t easily perform a standard pushup with good form, move down to a modified stance on your knees — you’ll still gain much of the benefits from this exercise while building strength.
- Squats
This Squats increase lower body and core strength, as well as flexibility in your lower hips and back. Since they engage some of the largest muscles in the body, they also take a major punch in terms of calories burned.
How to:
- Begin by standing straight, with your feet slightly wider than your shoulder-width apart, and put your arms at your sides.
- Brace your core and, while keeping your chest and chin up, push back your hips and bend your knees like you’re going to sit in a chair.
- Ensure your knees don’t bend inward or outward, move down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, bringing your arms out in front of you in a comfortable position. Wait for one second, then extend your legs and back to the starting point.
- Finish up 3 sets of 20 reps.
- Standing overhead dumbbell presses
A compound exercises, which uses multiple joints and muscles, perfect for busy bees as they work several parts of your body at once. This standing overhead press isn’t only one of the best exercises you can do for your shoulders, you can also use it to engage your upper back and core.
Equipment: 10-pound dumbbells
How to:
- Take a light set of dumbbells — 10 pounds recommend to start — and begin by standing, either with your feet shoulder-width apart or staggered. Move the weights over-head so your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
- With your core braced, start to push up until your arms are fully extended above your head. Make your head and neck stationary.
- After a brief break, bow your elbows and lower the weight back down until your triceps muscle is parallel to the floor again.
- Finish up 3 more sets of 11 reps.
- Dumbbell rows
These will not only make your back look killer in that dress, but dumbbell rows are also another compound exercise which strengthens multiple muscles in your upper body. Choose a moderate-weight dumbbell and check that you’re squeezing at the top of the movement.
Equipment: 10-pound dumbbells
How to:
- Begin with a dumbbell in each hand. Not more than 10 pounds recommend for beginners.
- Bend forward at the waist so that your back is at a 45-degrees angle to the ground. Be sure not to arch your back. Let your arms hang straight down. Make sure your neck is in line with your back and your core is engaged.
- Beginning with your right arm, bend your elbow and pull the weight straight up toward your chest, ensuring you engage your lat, and stopping just below your chest.
- Go back to the starting point and repeat with the left arm. This is one rep.
- Repeat 10 more for 3 sets.
- Burpees
This is an exercise we love to hate, burpees are a super effective whole-body movement that provides great bang for your buck for cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength.
How to:
- Begin by standing upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms down at your sides.
- Put your hands out in front of you, then begin to squat down. When your hands reach the ground, move your legs straight back into a pushup position.
- Jumping your feet up to your palms by hinging at the waist. Get your feet as close to your hands as possible, not landing them inside your hands if necessary.
- Stand straight, taking your arms above your head and jump.
- This is 1 rep. Complete 30 reps as a beginner.
- Side planks
A healthy body requires a strong core at its foundation, so don’t neglect the core-specific moves like the side plank.
Focus on the mind-muscle connection and controlled movements to ensure you’re completing this move effectively.
How to:
- Lying on your right side with your left leg and foot stacked on top of your right leg and foot.
- Position your upper body up by placing Right forearm on the ground, your elbow directly under your shoulder.
- Contract your core to stiffen your spine and lift your hips and knees above the ground, forming a straight line with your body.
- Back to start in a controlled manner. Complete up to 3 sets of 10–15 reps on one side, then switch to the other.
- Planks
Planks are effective ways to target both the abdominal muscles and your whole body. Planking stabilizes the core without straining your back the way situps or crunches do.
How to:
- Start with a pushup position with your hand and toes firmly planted on the ground, back straight, and your core tight.
- Make your chin slightly tucked and your gaze just in front of your hands.
- Take deep (controlled) breaths while maintaining tension throughout your entire body, so your abs, your shoulders, triceps, glutes and quads are all engaged.
- Complete 2-3 more sets of 30 second holds to start.
- Glute bridge
The glute bridge is effective to work your entire posterior chain, which isn’t only best for you, but it will make your booty look nice as well.
How to:
- Begin by lying on the floor with your knees bent, your feet flat on the ground, and your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing down.
- While pushing through your heels, raise your hips from the ground by squeezing your core, glutes, and hamstrings. Upper back and shoulders should still be in contact with the ground, and your core down to knees should form a straight line.
- Pause for 2 seconds at the top and return to the starting position.
- Complete up to 12 me reps for 3 sets.