Fitness is an overall state of good health and well being and, more specifically, an ability to do various parts of regular activities, jobs and sports well. Fitness means different things to different people. To many, fitness means weight loss or keeping the body in shape. To others, fitness means maintaining body composition (the percentage of body fat to total muscle mass). Still another definition of fitness may simply be having the right amount of physical activity every day.
Fitness can be measured in many ways, and there are specific criteria that each type of testing must meet. The easiest way to measure physical fitness is to use the test of muscular endurance, where you have to repeatedly lift a weight with the same strength (or amount) in the same manner for as long as you can, at a fixed distance. By testing the amount of time it takes for you to lift the weight at various intensities, you can calculate your muscular endurance. Body composition is also one of the most common ways to determine fitness. Body composition is defined as the percentage of your total body fat to total muscular strength.
Another important factor in determining fitness level is cardiovascular endurance, which includes both the heart rate and the amount of oxygen carried by the blood. High levels of physical activity increase the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. This increased ability to pump blood increases the amount of oxygen carried by the blood and, as a result, your ability to do physical activity, lowers your resting heart rate. Finally, muscular endurance measures how well you can complete tasks like jumping, running, climbing, throwing, swimming, or doing aerobics without tiring from exertion. These tests are also commonly used in determining the best work out routine by athletes.
Other important factors that go into determining the level of overall fitness include muscle strength, bone strength, body composition, emotional health, and your motivation level. Knowing your current physical fitness through a series of tests will help you determine how to maintain it in the future. For example, if you lack the ability to jump high or throw a ball long distances, increasing your vertical leap and throwing the ball further may be necessary to improve your overall health. Similarly, increasing the amount of time you can run or bike before you need to take a break from biking or walking helps you maintain your physical fitness level. Similarly, knowing your muscular endurance will help you determine how to keep that fitness level up for longer.
Of course, the best way to improve your overall health is to get plenty of regular exercise. To achieve optimal fitness levels, you should do strength training that is relevant to your activity and use appropriate aerobic exercises. It’s also important to eat a healthy diet and get plenty of rest every night. If you follow these steps, you can improve your health and reduce your risk for injury.
If you are interested in improving your overall fitness levels, you should start with a routine that emphasizes muscle strength, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and muscle tone. By working out on these three components of your physical fitness, you can increase your muscle strength, improve your cardiovascular endurance, increase your flexibility, and burn more calories. Once you have a workout that works all of these areas, add some variety by working with a variety of exercises and adding some form of resistance. This will help you maintain your level of fitness as you progress in your exercise program.