Fitness Measured by Physiologically Measurables

Physical fitness is a condition of overall health and well being and, more importantly, the capacity to do various parts of ordinary daily tasks, jobs and sports. Physical fitness is normally achieved through regular physical activity, proper nutrition, and adequate rest. The condition is usually enhanced through a good diet. Some people refer to this as being fit or healthy. The National Health and wellbeing board claim that physical fitness should be one of the prerequisites for an individual to lead a productive life.

fitness

The three main components of fitness are muscular strength, functional flexibility and cardiovascular efficiency. Muscular strength refers to how well you can lift weights and stretch. Functional flexibility refers to your ability to walk, move around without limping, climb stairs well, and so on. Cardiovascular efficiency means the amount of calories you burn in your daily physical activity. An excellent diet with a good level of physical activity is obviously the best solution to fitness needs. As you get older, the need for fitness also increases because muscles and flexibility lose their elasticity.

To achieve functional fitness, you need to do some kind of regular exercise. Aerobic exercises will help you to reduce your weight and improve your circulation. Flexibility will improve the range of motion of your joints. There are a variety of exercises that strengthen your muscles and improve your flexibility.

One important factor of fitness that affects all the other components is stamina. When you are trying to build up your overall fitness, your fitness level is determined not only by the total number of calories you consume but also by the frequency and intensity of your exercise. If you are doing some kind of vigorous exercise then the more intense the workout the better your stamina will be. On the other hand, if you are doing very light exercise then you will have to work even harder if you want to increase your stamina. If you consume the right kinds of food then your muscle strength and endurance will also be enhanced.

Fitness involves both mind and body. When you are fit you are mentally fit. You feel good about yourself because you have achieved good health. Hence you feel capable of facing life head on and you don’t feel like you are going to fall prey to the pressures of life. The kind of strong healthy mind that you have that leads to the kind of fitness you want will determine how fit you are physically as well.

Fitness is typically measured by a particular tool called the VO2 max or the maximum oxygen that your body can tolerate. Your pulse rate is typically measured with a pulse oximeter. Your resting heart rate is typically measured with a heart monitor. When you are fit, you have high levels of energy which are typically measured with a treadmill or a bicycle.