Fitness

Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness, i.e., a state of health and well-being, and specific fitness, i.e., a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations. Any general-purpose physical fitness routine should incorporate the following essentials: cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, strength, endurance, body composition and general skill training.

Cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular fitness refers to the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to skeletal muscles during sustained physical activity. Regular exercise makes these systems more efficient by enlarging the heart muscle, enabling more blood to be pumped with each stroke, and increasing the number of small arteries in trained skeletal muscles, which supply more blood to working muscles. Exercise improves the respiratory system by increasing the amount of oxygen that is inhaled and distributed to body tissues. Flexibility refers to the absolute range of movement in a joint or series of joints that is attainable. It has long been underestimated and can enhaance quality of life by improving and maintaining a good range of motion in the joints.

Strength training can provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and well-being, including increased bone, muscle, tendon and ligament strength and toughness, improved joint function, reduced potential for injury, increased bone density, a temporary increase in metabolism, improved cardiac function, and elevated HDL (good) cholesterol. Training commonly uses the technique of progressively increasing the force output of the muscle through incremental increases of weight, elastic tension or other resistance, and uses a variety of exercises and types of equipment to target specific muscle groups. Strength training is primarily an anaerobic activity, however, via methodologies such as kettlebells and circuit training, it can be adapted to provide the benefits of aerobic exercise.

Endurance training refers to exercises designed to increase stamina and endurance, allowing the practitioner to exert themselves for longer periods of time without fatigue of the muscles and cardiovascular system. Endurance training can lead to decreased heart rate, increased red blood cell count, increased blood plasma which reduces blood viscosity and increased cardiac output, i.e., the volume of blood being pumped by the heart.

Body composition, in physical fitness, refers to the percentages of fat, bone and muscle in the human body. Health organisations recommend that a healthy adult male's body should have between 13 and 17 percent fat, whereas a female should have between 20 and 21 percent fat.

Skill training refers to the improvement of abilites such as agility, balance, coordination, power, speed, reaction time, and skills associated with specific fitness, i.e., the ability to perform in a specific occupation, activity, event, recreational pursuit or sport with a reasonable efficiency.

Furthermore, along with these essential components, a comprehensive fitness program should be tailored to the individual, taking into account their age, fitness level, goals, and their specific skill set.

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