Article Medically Reviewed By:
Judy Wilson, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
Overview
What Is It?
Physical fitness has the following components: cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.
If a friend told you that delaying the aging process, controlling your weight, feeling happier and less anxious, sleeping better and warding off illnesses like heart disease, some forms of cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes was as easy as walking briskly for 30 minutes each day, would youbelieve her?
It's true. You can receive all these benefits simply by taking that 30-minute daily walk. Physical inactivity is responsible for an estimated 12 percent of deaths in the United States. The American Heart Association reports that a sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Studies find that people who start a regular physical exercise program after a heart attack have better rates of survival and an improved quality of life compared with those who remain sedentary. And people who do not exercise have a risk of coronary heart disease double that of people who exercise regularly—an increased risk similar to that caused by high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cigarette smoking.
In addition, being sedentary has several negative health consequences. Your muscles, including your heart and lungs, become weak; your joints become stiff and easily injured; and you can develop high blood pressure, fatigue, obesity and osteoporosis. Lack of physical activity can also contribute to anxiety and depression. Being physically fit, on the other hand, reduces the risk of heart disease, some forms of cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. Exercise may also reduce bone loss after menopause.
What's missing in this age of modern conveniences and desk jobs are reasons to get our bodies up and moving regularly.
That's why a 2006 government report found that 39 percent of American adults ages 18 years and older engage in no leisure-time physical activity, and only 29 percent of women engage in regular moderate or vigorous leisure-time physical exercise.
The good news is that it's never too late to take up exercise. At any age, at any level of health, even if you already suffer from a chronic disease, you can improve your level of fitness. Plus, if walking isn't your cup of tea, there are endless options, all with similar results.
What, exactly, is fitness? Physical fitness has the following components:
- Cardiovascular fitness. Your level of cardiovascular fitness determines your body's ability to use oxygen to help provide energy. It provides the stamina or endurance to be active without gasping for breath.
- Muscular strength. Muscular strength is the ability of your muscles to exert force during an activity.
- Muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is the ability o...
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