According to the World Health Organisation, health is defined as; “A complete state of physical, mental and social well-being; not merely the absence of disease.”

Fitness, on the other hand, is defined differently, as we are all individual and different. Being fit enough to enjoy daily life and activities and keep excess weight at bay is the way the average person sees it, whereas a world class athlete views it as being physically faster,superior and stronger than everyone else.

You may be healthy but unfit, although it has been proved that some measure of physical exertion on a daily basis will not only make you healthier, but will keep you that way for longer.

Here are some of the benefits of  fitness:

Aerobic fitness

The word “aerobic” means “in the presence of oxygen”. The heart and lungs pump blood filled with oxygen to the working muscles. The fitter an individual, the more efficient the heart and lungs are in doing their job and the longer the muscles can keep going without fatigue or breathlessness. Activities such as walking, swimming and rowing are classed as aerobic.

Muscular strength

The ability of a muscle to exert as much force as possible in a single contraction – say in lifting a heavy box into the trunk of your car without dropping it on your foot. Doing exercises with weights is the best way to build strong muscles – and that applies to women as well as men.

Muscular Endurance

The ability of a muscle to exert less than maximum force, for a longer period of time – lifting several not-quite-as-heavy boxes without becoming exhausted and dropping the last one on your foot. Exercises holding light weights will increase muscular endurance.

Flexibility

The more flexibility an individual has, the better the range of motion in their joints and muscles. Some people are far more flexible than others naturally, but if you do not move and stretch your muscles and joints regularly, they soon get stiff, range of motion becomes less and your movements become limited. Age doesn’t help, as flexibility decreases, but there’s still a lot you can do to maintain it. Use it or lose it. That being said, it’s NEVER too late to start flexibility exercises; in my Pilates classes there are many older folk whose muscular strength and range of movement are improving with every month that passes.

Motor Skills

Nothing to do with driving! Gross motor skills are those such as catching or hitting a baseball. Fine motor skills are precise movements like threading a needle. Both types are “learned” by practising activities that involve such movements. Mastering such skills is beneficial for both body and mind as they increase spatial awareness and proprioception (the brain’s ability to know exactly where the limbs are during any movement. Reaching for a cup and your fingers closing on empty air is due to lack of proprioception. Unless you haven’t got your glasses on!).

The above components are the main physical benefits of starting to exercise regularly, and any exercise program should involve all of the above on a regular basis. This is not as complicated as it sounds; if you go for a brisk walk, move all the furniture to vacuum, play tennis and go to a Yoga or Pilates class each week, you’ll have covered most of them!

Carol J Bartram

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Exercising is Good for Your Health