Can you complete all of your activities of daily life without too much exertion and fatigue? Then you may be physically fit!
We know that exercise and physical activity is important for health. But what kind of physical activity should you do? There are several types of exercise that help with the main components of physical fitness. They are endurance (or aerobic), muscle strengthening, flexibility, and balance. https://medlineplus.gov/exerciseandphysicalfitness.html
Endurance or aerobic exercise helps with cardiorespiratory fitness – this refers to how efficiently your heart pumps blood, how much oxygen your lungs take in, and how well your blood vessels transport oxygen and nutrients to body parts that need them. http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/articles/cardiorespiratory-fitness.shtml What are some examples of aerobic exercise? Comment below.
Strength or resistance training helps with muscular strength and endurance – this refers to how much weight different muscles group can push or pull. Read more about it here – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670?p=1. In particular, one group of muscles that are very important are core muscles – pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen. Including them in your exercise routine is very important – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/core-exercises/art-20044751?p=1 .
Stretching, yoga and tai chi can help with flexibility – the ability of joints to reach their full range of motion. Read about the importance of stretching here – https://familydoctor.org/the-importance-of-stretching/?adfree=true. Some of these activities can also help with balance – this is very important for older adults.
Body composition is another component of physical fitness – read more about it in the post Weight Management. This refers to the relative proportion of fat and lean mass in the body.
