When people decide to take the first
step and become fit, most would usually ask a friend who already works out and
some would consult a fitness professional. When we actually decide to take that
plunge and exercise, how and what do we train? That would ultimately depend on
your goals in. Some will prefer to lose weight and have more endurance and
while others would like to gain weight through an increase in muscle size. Some
would like to have both. What your goals are would dictate on how and what to
train. However, what exactly are the terms and definitions related to fitness
and health? What do we train when we want to get fit?
The
terms health, wellness, and physical fitness are often interchanged. When people
decide to take the plunge and become more fit, are the definitions really the
same?
Simply put, health can be defined
simply as being alive with no major health problems. Another definition can be
the overall condition of the body or mind and then presence or absence of
illness or injury 2. Alternatively, it can be, as defined by Corbin
and Welk, “Health is a state of optimal well-being that contributes to one’s
quality of life. It is more than freedom from disease and illness. It includes
high-level mental, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness with in
one’s heredity and personal limits 1.
Wellness, on the other hand, is a
“state of healthy living achieved by practicing of a healthy lifestyle which
includes regular physical activity, proper nutrition, maintaining good
emotional and spiritual health, and eliminating unhealthy behaviours” 6.
Technically all facets of one’s life should be healthy, other words. With
physical activity being one part of the total wellness scheme.
Moreover,
what is the definition of fitness? There are two kinds of fitness that we should
be aware of: physical and metabolic. Metabolic fitness is actually a measure of
non-performance parameters. It measures the blood lipid profile, blood
pressure, and blood sugar and insulin levels. These measures are used to assess
risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease 1, 3. These parameters are used for risk assessment
for those wishing to start a physical fitness program.
Physical
fitness on the other hand, is the body’s ability to meet the ordinary as well
the unusual demands of daily life safely and effectively, without undue
fatigue. And still have energy left over for leisure and recreational
activities 3. It is the body’s ability to function efficiently and
effectively. It is based on the five (5) physical fitness components. In this
case, it is also called health-related fitness. In which the goal is help
reduce the risk of hypo-kinetic disease and improve physical fitness, and daily
tasks are carried out with less effort and fatigue 6.
If
performance of a motor skill is part of the equation, which certain jobs may
require such as fire-fighter, the six (6) skill components are also used as
basis 1. The fitness programs here are designed to achieve high
levels of performance in motor skills, or successful performance in sport 1,
3.
The
first step in becoming fit is an increase in physical activity. Physical
activity is actually defined as ”a general broad term that is used to describe
all forms of large muscle movements including sports, dance, games, work,
lifestyle activities, and exercise”1. It is bodily movements
produced by the skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure3.
An increase in physical activity requiring energy expenditure are therefore one
of the requirements of becoming physically fit. Physical activity is any
activity other than exercise that requires light to vigorous effort. Therefore,
from washing the car, to walking two to three blocks from the house to the
grocery store, to performing Olympic lifts for sports performance can be
considered physical activity. However, for the purpose of people starting out,
light to moderate physical activity is recommended. A good guide to physical
activity would the physical activity pyramid. One can follow two pyramids. The
first is taken form the Health Fitness Instructor’s Handbook in fig. 1.
 | |||||||||
| Fig.1 the Activity Pyramid 4 |
For Asians, and specifically for Filipinos,
another type of physical activity pyramid is also available as shown in fig. 2.
This is from the Philippine Association for the study of Overweight and
Obesity.
 |
| Fig. 2 the Filipino Pyramid Activity Guide 5 |
To use the
pyramids as a guide is a simple matter. The bottom of both pyramids is the day-to-day
activities and should be done as often as possible. These are considered light
physical activities. Recreational and aerobic activities dominate the second
level. The recommendation is that one should do these activities three (3) to
five (5) times a week. The third level is leisure activities and exercises for strength
and flexibility. These should be done two (2) to three (3) times a week. The
top tier should be done minimally at best. Energy expenditure through physical
activity helps in controlling weight together with a sound diet.
Exercise, which is found on the
second tier of both pyramids, is form of physical activity that is planned,
structured and repetitive bodily movements whose purpose is to improve, or
maintain one or more of the components of physical fitness 3.
There are certain norms and standards that are
supposed to tell us that we are fit. Or that we have reached our goal. Each of
these norms pertains to a component of physical fitness. Moreover, what are those components that
determine physical fitness? As mentioned earlier there are five fitness
components, or areas, that comprise physical fitness: Cardiovascular endurance,
muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Let
us define each one.
1.
Cardiovascular endurance - Also called aerobic fitness or
cardio respiratory fitness. This is the ability of the heart, blood vessels,
blood, and respiratory system to supply the nutrients and oxygen to the working
muscle and their ability to utilize this fuel to allow sustained exercise. 1,
3
2.
Muscular strength – This is the ability of the
muscle to exert an external force to lift a heavy object. Alternatively, it may
also be defined as the amount of force a muscle can produce with a single
maximal effort. 1, 2
3.
Muscular endurance – This is muscles’ ability to
generate submaximal force repeatedly over a period time 1, 6,
or the ability of the muscle to resist fatigue and sustain a given level of
contraction, holding a particular contraction 2.
4.
Flexibility – This is the range of motion
around a given joint, or the ability of the joint to move through its full
range of motion 1, 2.
5.
Body Composition – The only non-performance
measure among the fitness components. This component refers to the proportion
of fat and fat free mass in the body 2.
Each
of the components can affect our daily activities. For example, cardiovascular
fitness is needed when walking a certain distance, climbing stairs, doing yard
work (a.k.a. gardening, for those of us who have a garden), cleaning your room
(or apartment or house, depending on where you live). In addition, leisure and
social activities, such as a weekend bike, or hike, or sports, or a night out
dancing, can become more enjoyable with good cardiorespiratory fitness 5.
In addition, there is a reduced risk of hypokinetic disease. Hypokinetic
diseases are those diseases that stem from lack of physical activity. Such
diseases include hypertension, heart diseases, chronic low back pain, and
obesity 3.
Muscular
strength and endurance are usually termed together by the ACSM (American
College of Sports Medicine) as muscular fitness. Muscular fitness are basic
components that are required in daily activities such as sitting, walking,
running, lifting and carrying various objects 3. In addition, some amount of strength and
endurance are required for housework and recreational activities 3. Several
benefits of these two components are the following: Improved performance of
physical activities, injury prevention, improved body composition, improved
muscle and bone health during aging, improved body composition, improved
posture and reduced risk chronic low back pain, and an improved quality of life
1,2.
Flexibility
is not the province of athletes alone. Even mere mortals such as us need
flexibility on our daily activities. Simple activities such scratching a part
of our back, bending down to tie our shoes or putting on a shirt require flexibility
6. Good flexibility makes daily activities such as lifting, turning,
and bending much easier 3. Benefits of adequate flexibility include
good joint health, maintain optimal posture and prevent excessive muscle strain
such as chronic low back pain, relief of muscle cramps, improving impaired
mobility, and relaxation.
Body
composition is the only non-performance measure among the fitness components. This
is affected by the diet and the amount of physical activity we do. According to
most exercise physiologists, the human body can be divided into fat-free mass
and body fat. Fat-free mass is made up of all the body’s non-fat tissue. This
includes bone, water, muscles, connective tissues, organs and teeth. However, a
small percentage of fat is required by the body to function properly. This
called essential fat. In men, it makes up about 3% to 5% of total body weight.
For the women, it is about 8% to 12%. The other fat in the body is stored as
fat cells or adipose tissue. It is located under the skin and around the
viscera (major organs) 2.
When
the body stores too much fat, overweight and obesity can result. Overweight is
defined by Hoeger and Hoeger as “the excess amount weight against a given standard
such as height or recommended percentage body fat” 3. Obesity, on
the other hand, is an excessive amount of fat in the body, which is typically
25% for men and 30% for women 6.
Either
too much fat or too little fat can affect health. Diseases such as the
metabolic syndrome, diabetes and premature death can result from too much fat
in the body. Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms that include the
following: insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high blood glucose levels,
abnormal blood lipid levels, and, of course, high body fat deposits in the
abdominal region. By far the biggest impact of overweight and obesity is on
self-image. This can lead to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem 2.
At
the other end of the spectrum, extremely low levels of body fat can also be a
hazard to health. Although it is not as big a problem as overweight and
obesity. Extreme leanness on the other hand can affect normal body functioning.
This can affect the reproductive, respiratory, and immune system.
There
are the five fitness components one should be aware of when one decides to take
that first step to becoming fit. The next step is to make sure that you are
cleared to safely do physical activity.
Bibliography:
1. Corbin,
Charles B., Gregory J. Welk, William R. Corbin, Karen A. Welk, and Cara L.
Sidman “Concepts of Fitness and Wellness 9th edition” 2011
2. Fahey,
Thomas D., Paul M. Insel, and Walton T. Roth “Fit and Well: Core Concepts and
Labs in Physical Fitness and Wellness 9th edition” 2011
3. Hoeger,
Werner W. K. and Sharon A. Hoeger “Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness 11th
edition” 2011
4.
Howley,
Edward T. and B. Don Franks “Health Fitness Instructor’s Handbook” 1997
5.
Philippine
Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity, 2000
6. Powers, Scott K. and
Stephen L. Dodd ”Total Fitness and Wellness 5th edition” 2009
