FIVE FORMS OF THE PHYSICAL FITNESS – FLEXIBILITY, STRENGTH, ENDURANCE, CARDIOVASCULAR AND BODY FAT

Fitness is the concept that is hugely misinterpreted, and each individual has his own way of defining it but, We all have an idea of what “FIT” should look like. For some people, it means having a sleek and the kind of bodies, they show it in the movies, while others want to have massive muscles or a perfect hourglass figure. What an individual needs to understand is that fitness is not just about one thing but it comprises of 5 facets. These 5 facets of fitness, needs to improve in a human being for him or her to be deemed as a person who has become fitter.

But a person needs to understand that fitness is not about changing your appearances. Hence, these 5 facets are excruciatingly important in your process to become fit.

1. FLEXIBILITY

It is an important element in your path of becoming a fit person, yet it is taken lightly or not taken seriously at all in some cases. Without flexibility, the joints and muscles grow stiff and hence, in the long run, your movements will become limited. Exercises that lead you to become flexible ensure that, your body can be mobile, and move without any strain or stiffness.

If you are wondering how could you know, how much of a flexible person you are, then you should touch your toes or sit down and try to reach your toes, (be sure not to bend or more importantly, cheat) if it was easier to reach your toes, you are a flexible person.

2. MUSCULAR STRENGTH

In the absence of this major component, you will not be able to lift and carry heavy objects, muscular strength gives you this ability, without it, your body will become frail and slight. Your body will not be able to keep up with the demands, as you grow older, lifting things that looked easier when you were younger, will seem impossible. The way to increase strength is to train with heavy weights, working in the 4 – 6 or 12 – 15 rep ranges. The heavier the weight, the fewer reps you should perform!

3. MUSCULAR ENDURANCE

As the name states, it means for your muscles to perform contractions for extended periods of time. With this, an individual can lift or carry for minutes rather than few seconds.

The way to increase strength is to train with light weights, working in the 20 – 25 rep range. Working with lighter weight will train the muscle fibers needed for muscular endurance, and the higher rep range leads to a longer period of exercise.

4. CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE

Exercises like running, jogging, swimming, cycling, cardiovascular endurance basically helps you, in keeping up these kinds of exercises or anything that forces your cardiovascular system(lungs, heart, blood vessels) for an extended period time. Oxygen is fueled in your heart and lungs, that is needed for your muscles. It is is to make sure you have enough of oxygen needed for the work they are doing. Incorporate running into your routine to increase your cardiovascular endurance. Even swimming, bicycling or even speed-walking helps!

5. BODY FAT COMPOSITION

Body fat composition refers to the amount of fat on your body. For example, a 100-pound person with a 25% body fat composition will have a lean body mass of 75 pounds.

To qualify as fit:

• Men must have a body fat composition lower than 17 percent

• Women must have a body fat composition lower than 24 percent

The average man tends to have about 18 to 24 percent body fat, while the average woman has 25 to 31 percent body fat.

You must keep in mind to not to neglect or not follow one or more of these types of fitness as it will not benefit you and your body in the long run. If you want to be completely fit, you must be determined to improve all 5 of these components of fitness.

Fitness in Goa has still not made an impact, because of our lifestyle; drinking habits, eating out habits hence we are called as ‘‘Susegad Goenkars’’. We want to stay fit but, we don’t want to sacrifice our vices, that pull us down. We don’t want to eat good food which keeps us fit. When it comes to maintaining our fitness or how do we have to first go about, we have over 100 Questions in our mind.

For eg; is doing weight training is safe? Do they have any side effects? Will we experience a fracture of some sort? And so the questions go on.

Due to our bad eating and drinking habits, we face problems such as obesity, diabetes, over-aging etc. and this affects our muscular endurance and Musculoskeletal Strength gets Decreased.                        

Overeating and by not implementing any kind of physical exercise can, reduce your performance in all 5 aspects of fitness and hence the only anti aging tactic is to place equal emphasis on all the aspects of Fitness.                       

A human who lacks muscular endurance can experience a discomfort while running due to high rise in lactic acid built up in the skeletal muscles, which is used for that specific activity. And a decrease in Musculoskeletal Strength, fastens the process of degeneration, causing the body to experience degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis, spondylosis etc.

The weakness of the Musculoskeletal system also exposes the body to a high risk of injuries while performing any task involving force against resistance. It also increases the risk of injury while playing Sport.

So to avoid all these health problems and any other kind of diseases we need to stay fit. Why question marks, when it comes to staying fit? Fitness is not only a smart choice but only choice for you to live a life, that is not filled with second thoughts and prayers of will I am able to do this? Will I be able to lift it? Or can I run anymore?

Stay fit. Work hard. Eat clean.

TEXT : John Diego Fernandes

IMAGE SOURCE : PARADOX FITNESS

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