Are You Healthy and Fit

Health and fitness - an oxymoron:While doing keyword search for my next post, I, from out of the blue, tried to search for “health and fitness.” The results were revealing. Only a very few people searched for it in general terms. Most of the searches were about fitness centers and gyms, fitness clubs both local and national, spas, etc. Second was fitness tips and information and a poor third was health and fitness products. When people think of “health and fitness,” they think of gyms, clubs and spas. I find this oxymoronic. There is more to health and fitness than those people are interested in. No wonder the world is getting fatter and there is no end in sight.What is to be healthy and fit?To be “fit,” physically is to be either or both, generally fit, and specifically fit. General fitness means you are in a good state of health and well-being while to be specifically fit means you are capable of doing task-oriented activities such specific aspects of sport or occupation. This post shall focus on general fitness.Physical fitness basics:Before the advent of the computer age, physical fitness was defined as “the capacity to carry out a day’s activities without under fatigue.” Our high-tech world has changed that to “the measure of a body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities.” Physical fitness is to be healthy and resistant to diseases related to idleness such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, some forms of cancers, back problems, type 2 Diabetes, osteoporosis, mental decay, etc. Physical fitness is generally achieved through regular exercise, proper nutrition and enough rest - summing it all: lifestyle.Physical components of health and fitness:Your general physical health and fitness are measured against the following:o Your body’s vital parts and processes, i.e., metabolism, bone structure, etc. o Your muscular systems, i.e., flexibility, endurance, strength;o Your coordination functions, i.e., agility, balance, speed or reaction time;o Your sports function, i.e., ability to engage in team or individual sports.Consequently, any general fitness programs must include the following needs:o Cardiovascular/endurance;o Flexibility/strengtho Body composition.They say that knowledge is power. Now that you have the knowledge, you now have the power to map out your strategy of dealing with your health and fitness issues other than buying countless health and fitness magazines and books, dvds, diet pills and food supplements.