Health Related Physical Fitness

A healthy lifestyle is vitally important, but many of us struggle for

one reason or another. You might not have a clear idea of the
steps you need to take to get started. Or you may have that part
down, but have a tough time staying on track when you hit one of
those inevitable bumps in the road. Dont worry if any of this
sounds like you the information here will give you the knowledge
you need to work toward achieving a healthy lifestyle. Lifestyle
changes arent always easy, so itll take a little effort to get there.
Its worth it, though - and were here to help you find your way past
any stumbling blocks. The key to success lies in changing your old,
bad habits. Its all up to you - no one can force you to do this. Youll
need to get used to leading your life in a healthier way. In other
words, get rid of your old, unhealthy habits and form better ones.
Its a steady, step-by-step process. Health related fitness is all
about psychology, personal health and how physical activity
influences us as a person. This is important for anyone who wants
to live a physically active lifestyle to support a higher quality of life.
Exercise can be a structured process of physical activity such as
going to the gym, taking cardio classes and lifting weights. Or, can
also be anything from walking to the park to intensive cardio
workouts
INTRODUCTION
Physical fitness is a general state of health and well-being or
specifically the ability to perform aspects of sports or occupations.
Physical fitness is generally achieved through correct nutrition,
exercise, hygiene and rest. It is a set of attributes or characteristics
that people have or achieve that relates to the ability to perform
physical activity. Before the industrial revolution, fitness was the
capacity to carry out the days activities without undue fatigue.
However with automation and changes in lifestyles physical fitness
is now considered a measure of the bodys ability to function
efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be
healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency
situations.
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living
organism. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind
and body, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain (as
in "good health" or "healthy").

The World Health Organization defined health in its broader sense

in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
Although this definition has been subject to controversy, in
particular as lacking operational value and because of the problem
created by use of the word "complete," it remains the most
enduring.
Other definitions have been proposed, among which a recent
definition that correlates health and personal satisfaction.
Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International
Classifications, including the International Classification of
Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD), are commonly
used to define and measure the components of health. Fitness is
defined as the quality of being suitable to perform a particular task.
Around 1950, perhaps consistent with the industrial revolution and
the treatise of WWII, the term fitness increased in western
vernacular by a factor of ten.
Modern definition of fitness describes either a person or machine's
ability to perform a specific function or a holistic definition of
human adaptability to cope with various situations. This has lead to
an interrelation of human fitness and attractiveness, which has
mobilized global fitness and fitness equipment industries.
Regarding specific function, fitness is attributed to personnel who
possess significant aerobic or anaerobic ability, i.e. strength or
endurance. A holistic definition of fitness is described by Greg
Glassman in the Cross Fit journal as an increased work capacity
across broad times and model domains; mastery of several
attributes of fitness including strength, endurance, power, speed,
balance and coordination and being able to improve the amount of
work done in a given time with any of these domains. A well
rounded fitness program will improve a person in all aspects of
fitness, rather than one, such as only cardio/respiratory endurance
or only weight training.
TYPES OF PHYSICAL FITNESS
Physical fitness is a general concept and is defined in many ways
by different scientists. Physical fitness is discussed here in two
major categories: health-related physical fitness and motorperformance physical fitness. Despite some overlap between
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these classifications, there are major differences, as described

below.
Health Related Physical Fitness
Health-related physical fitness is defined as fitness related to some
aspect of health. This type of physical fitness is primarily
influenced by an individuals exercise habits; thus, it is a dynamic
state and may change. Physical characteristics that constitute
health-related physical fitness include strength and endurance of
skeletal muscles, joint flexibility, body composition, and cardiorespiratory endurance. All these attributes change in response to
appropriate physical conditioning programs, and all are related to
health.
Strength and endurance of skeletal muscles of the trunk
help maintain correct posture and prevent such problems as
low back pain. Minimal levels of muscular strength and
endurance are needed for routine tasks of living, such as
carrying bags of groceries or picking up a young child.
Individuals with very low levels of muscular strength and
endurance are limited in the performance of routine tasks
and have to lead a restricted life.
Flexibility, or range of motion around the joints, also ranks
as an important component of health-related fitness. Lack of
flexibility in the lower back and posterior thigh is thought to
contribute to low back pain. Extreme lack of flexibility also
has a deleterious effect on the quality of life by limiting
performance.

Body composition refers to the ratio between fat and lean

tissue in the body. Excess body fat is clearly related to
several health problems, including cardiovascular disease,
type II (adult-onset) diabetes mellitus, and certain forms of
cancer. Body composition is affected by diet, but exercise
habits play a crucial role in preventing obesity and
maintaining acceptable levels of body fat.
Cardio-respiratory endurance, or aerobic fitness, is
probably what most people identify as physical fitness.
Aerobic fitness refers to the integrated functional capacity of

the heart, lungs, vascular system, and skeletal muscles to

expend energy.

Motor Performance Physical Fitness

Motor performance fitness is defined as the ability of the
neuromuscular system to perform specific tasks. Test items
used to assess motor-performance fitness include chin-ups,
sit-ups, the 50-yard dash, the standing long jump, and the
shuttle run (a timed run in which the participant dashes back
and forth between two points). The primary physical
characteristics measured by these tests are the strength and
endurance of the skeletal muscles and the speed or power of
the legs. These traits are important for success in many
types of athletics. Muscular strength and endurance are also
related to some aspects of health, as stated above.
IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH RELATED PHYSICAL FITNESS

Be healthier
Increase your chances of living longer
Feel better about yourself
Reduce the chance of becoming depressed
Sleep better at night
Look good
Be in shape
Get around better
Have stronger muscles and bones
Achieve or maintain a healthy weight
Be with friends or meet new people
Have fun

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REDUCES RISK

Heart disease
Stroke
High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Obesity
Depression
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 Breast and colon cancer

Osteoporosis

CONCLUSION
Effective intervention programs promoting changes in physical
fitness standards are needed in order to contribute to the
development of healthier levels of motor performance, especially
based on public policy initiatives that provide opportunities for
physical activity and sports in neighborhoods, parks and
condominiums.