What is Physical Fitness?

What is physical fitness? It is actually a combination of several aspects rather than one single thing.

 "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."  ~World Health Organization, 1948

Complete physical fitness includes both health related and skill related ingredients:

Health Related Physical Fitness

1. Balanced body composition – in other words the ratio of fat to muscle i.e. greater lean body mass and reduced body fat.

2. Cardiovascular fitness – stronger heart, reduced heart rate, reduced blood pressure, better exchange of oxygen in the tissues, improved circulation.

3. Flexibility – improved performance and possibly protection from joint and muscle problems.

4. Muscular endurance and strength – much the same as for flexibility, muscular fitness means you are better able to perform work and leisure activities and there may be better protection from injury.

Skill related components of physical fitness:

These skill related aspects are all things that you can train to improve. Exercise classes like pilates and yoga help with balance and co-ordination. Many other sports that need skilled co-ordination such as football, basketball or tennis will all help with these specific aspects of fitness.

1. Agility
2. Balance
3. Coordination
4. Power
5. Reaction Time
6. Speed

Together these make up the basic physical fitness components.

So what is physical fitness? It is a combination of all these things. It is perfectly possible to have one aspect of physical fitness and not others. For example a weight lifter may have great strength and a high lean body mass but may not have good cardiovascular fitness.

If you have lower back pain, improving your fitness levels may help you manage your problem more effectively.

Physical Fitness Hub

Benefits of Physical Fitness

5 Components of Physical Fitness

Lower Back Pain Toolkit Home Page

10-Oct-2011