• Bibi Magazine
• The At-Work Work-Out
• Khabar
• Manage Your Holiday Feasting
• Strengthen the Core
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Back Care
• Cholesterol Screening...the Next Level!
• Heart Disease Hits Home!
• Body Weight, Body Fat or Body Mass Index (Bmi) Which One Should You Weigh in On?
• Spice It Up!
• Deciphering Food Labels
• Avoid raising an overweight child
• This New Year, Resolve to Lift!
• Carbohydrates and the Asian Indian Diet
• Fats: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!
• Is Walking Enough?
• Fats: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
• Top Ten Reasons You Should Exercise
• What is Physical Fitness?
• The Top Ten Fitness Myths
• How to Lose Weight
• Rivaaj
• To Stretch or Not to Stretch and When and How to Stretch
• Muscle up Your Manly Metabolism!
• Teen Fitness
• Exercise after pregnancy
• Exercise During Pregnancy
• Why not a Personal Trainer?
• Break Your Fast
• Eat an Apple, Be a Pear!
• The Ten Commandments of Fitness
• Why Your Exercise Program Fails

What is Physical Fitness?

Many people seem to confuse good health with physical fitness. However, there is a distinction between the characteristics of general good health and those of being "physically fit". Whereas good health is characterized by being free of disease, physical fitness is achieved by leading a healthy lifestyle and participating in a well rounded exercise program on a regular basis. According to the American Council on Exercise, "fitness" is assessed by one's level of cardiorespiratory efficiency (at rest and during exercise), muscular strength and endurance, muscle and joint flexibility, and body composition. Let's examine these further:

Cardiorespiratory efficiency : Also called cardiorespiratory endurance or aerobic fitness, this is a person's ability to perform large muscle movements over a period of time. This is also the ability of the heart, lungs and the blood vessels to deliver an adequate supply of oxygen for continuous energy production for exercising muscles. A certain level of basic cardiovascular fitness can be achieved by performing activities such as walking, cycling, and aerobics, dancing and jogging at least three times a week. Activities that combine both lower and upper body movements such as skiing, rowing and swimming, can lead to high levels of cardiovascular fitness. Increasing the intensity and duration of these activities along with performing several different types of activities over a period of time can further lead to optimal cardiovascular fitness.

Muscular strength and endurance : Muscular strength is the amount of force muscles can produce in a single maximal effort. Lifting a heavy suitcase and pushing a heavy object are examples of muscular strength. Muscular endurance is the ability to exert strength repetitively over a period of time without fatiguing. For example, playing tennis requires a certain amount of upper body muscular endurance as the ball is continuously hit. A certain level of muscular strength and endurance can be developed by performing a strength training routine (with the use of dumbbells, machines or exercise bands) which involves all major muscle groups at least three times a week. Progressively overloading the muscles with heavier weights, changing the number of sets and repetitions over time will eventually lead to an increased level of muscular strength and endurance.

Muscle and joint flexibility : Flexibility is defined as the range of movement that can be accomplished at a joint such as the hip and shoulder. Even though maintaining flexibility helps to reduce the chance of injury and can improve performance in many activities, flexibility training is often overlooked. Flexible joints can have the capability to move further in its range and can also decelerate the joint degeneration process. Flexibility training (performed via stretching) also improves muscle soreness and tightness. Stretching (to improve one's flexibility) can be performed both before and after an exercise program.

Body Composition : Body composition refers to the quantity of total body mass which can be divided into fat-free mass and fat mass. Fat free mass consists of metabolically active bone, muscle and organs, and fat mass is just that – fat or also known as adipose tissue. Weighing scales measuring just weight alone are not a good indicator of body composition or good health as one person may weigh 200 lbs and have only 15% body fat (and be in good health), whereas, someone else might weigh 200lbs and have 40% body fat (and be at risk for disease). It is, therefore, important to know the ratio of fat versus lean mass as having a higher body fat percentage increases the risk of disease. A desirable level of body fat can be achieved by leading a lifestyle of following a nutritious low fat diet and performing cardiovascular and strength training exercises at least three times a week.

Now that you have a basic understanding of how "fitness" can be assessed, you might be somewhat curious and ask yourself, "How can I determine my level of fitness?" especially if you are physically active. Find out in next month's issue!

Aarti Patel is certified by the American Council on Exercise as a Personal Trainer and Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant . She is a Trainer at "Ultimate Bodies by Carlos" in Midtown and can be reached at (404)376-5655.