Health and fitness are words that often go together, but have you ever wondered about their definition? The concept of health for example was defined by the World Health Organisation just after the Second World War as being ” a complete state of mental and physical and social well-being, not just the absence of disease” .
Fitness on the other hand is not quite so easy to define, as the concept applies differently to different people; in a marathon runner fitness is defined as the ability to run 26 miles in just over two hours, whereas for a mature adult fitness may be the ability to walk a mile in 25 minutes. This gives us two separate definitions of the term fitness; functional fitness which is the ability to carry out everyday tasks efficiently and without breathlessness or pain, and sports specific fitness which is the ability of the body to function at a high level for as long as necessary to complete the activity.
There’s no doubt that health and fitness go together, as being reasonably functionally fit is essential to good health. Without regular exercise the body softens and weakens, fat levels increase and heart and lungs begin to lose their efficiency. Staying functionally fit is a challenge in itself as the less fit you are, the less inclined you will be to try and get fit, as it simply seems to be too much effort!
The benefits of fitness are inarguable. Yes, you can be healthy and not be fit, but before too long your health will start to deteriorate, and it is well known that being overweight and unfit makes you far more likely to suffer from heart disease and some forms of cancer. The fitter you are the more likely it is that you will be healthy and remain healthier for longer, although excessive exercise over long periods has been shown to be nearly as damaging to health as no exercise at all.
You can’t go far wrong with the old-fashioned concept of regular amounts of work, rest and play. Work moderately, rest moderately, exercise regularly and enjoy yourself and you have all components for a long and healthy life.