LET'S TALK ABOUT F (FITNESS)

FITNESS (F)

Do you know the History Of Fitness?

Yes, you all heard it right.

Fitness has also a History.

So let's explore the world of Fitness

As said by Muhammad Ali "I hated every minute of training, but I said , Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as champion".

So let's Begin🠊🠊🠊

Lessons from History:

The history of fitness portrays some fascinating themes that relate closely to the 21st century. In many ways, this shows how impacting our world leaders can be on health and fitness. Another interesting development from history is the concept of exercise for the body and music for the soul. Present day fitness programs have evolved this concept harmoniously, with music being a distinctive component to the exercise experience.

In addition, as technology has advanced with man, the levels of physical fitness have decreased. History offers little insight how to prevent or turnaround these recourses. Thus, this is a resolution we are challenged with in today’s society. 

Throughout world history, military conflicts have had major impacts on the state of fitness. The Second World War and its aftermath in the United States would be no different. Essentially, the modern fitness movement evolved out of the influence of World War II and subsequent development of the Cold War.

With the declaration of war came the necessity to draft military personnel. However, as more men were drafted, it became embarrassingly clear that many of them were not fit for combat. When the war was over, it was reported that nearly half of all draftees needed to be rejected or were given non-combat positions . These disturbing statistics helped gain the attention of the country with regards to the importance of fitness.

Physical Fitness:

                                       is defined as being in good physical shape or being suitable for a specific task or purpose. Fitness can be described as a state of well being. Its not about having a six or an eight pack, its all about how quickly you recover from a workout or some other kind of physical activity. Its very important for anyone to be physically fit as it contributes to mental well being too.

Before the Industrial Revolution, fitness was defined as the capacity to carry out the day's activities without undue fatigue or lethargy. However, with automation and changes in lifestyles, physical fitness is now considered a measure of the body's ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist diseases, improve immune system and to meet emergency situations.

Types of Fitness:

There are three types of fitness. To be considered physically fit, all three areas of physical fitness must be strengthened. The three types of fitness are aerobic, muscle strengthening, and flexibility.

Aerobic fitness: Aerobic fitness exercises are those that strengthen both the heart and the lungs. The intention of beneficial aerobic exercises is to increase the amount of oxygen that is supplied to the body's muscles. Any aerobic exercise includes activities that raise the heart rate and keep it elevated for a period of time, usually twenty minutes or longer.

Muscular Strength: Muscular strength is a type of fitness directly related to muscle density and endurance, allowing athletes to perform more repetitions while lifting heavier weights. It increases a person’s ability to work against resistance by maximizing the force that can be applied against a load.

Flexibility: Flexibility is the ability of the joints or a group of joints, and muscles to move through a range of motion effectively unrestricted and pain free. There are so many benefits of flexibility, and finding increased flexibility will drastically improve your quality of life in the long run. Flexibility may seem elusive to most, reserved for those only in sports that require it.

Components of Physical Fitness:

There are multiple components to fitness and being physically fit. The most common fitness measurements are muscular endurance, muscular power, and cardiovascular endurance. These components are detailed below:

1.

Cardiovascular endurance is your body’s ability to keep up with exercise like running, jogging, swimming, cycling, and anything that forces your cardiovascular system (lungs, heart, blood vessels) to work for extended periods of time. Together, the heart and lungs fuel your body with the oxygen needed by your muscles, ensuring that they have the oxygen needed for the work they are doing.

2.

Muscular strength is the amount of force a muscle can produce. Examples would be the bench press, leg press or bicep curl. The push up test is most often used to test muscular strength.

3.

Muscular endurance is the ability of the muscles to perform continuous without fatiguing. Examples would be cycling, step machines and elliptical machines. The sit up test is most often used to test muscular endurance.

4.

Flexibility is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, components of physical fitness. Without flexibility, the muscles and joints would grow stiff and movement would be limited. Flexibility training ensures that your body can move through its entire range of motion without pain or stiffness. To test your flexibility, lean forward and try to touch your toes. Those with good flexibility will usually be able to touch their toes, while those with limited flexibility will not.

5.

Body composition is the amount of fat mass compared to lean muscle mass, bone and organs. This can be measured using underwater weighing, Skinfold readings, and bioelectrical impedance. Underwater weighing is considered the “gold standard” for body fat measurement, however because of the size and expense of the equipment needed very few places are set up to do this kind of measurement.

TIPS TO STAY FIT:

1. Take a 10-15 minute Walk Daily: If you don't exercise at all, a brief walk is a great way to start which helps to improve our health. Increase it up to 45min -60 min if possible.

2. Eat fruit or vegetable a day: Eating more fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet may help you reduce your risk of chronic diseases. Eating fruits and vegetables may also help to reduce your chances of Type 2 diabetes along with other diseases.

3. Make Healthy Breakfast: Start the day with some fruit and a serving of whole grains, like oatmeal, bran flakes. Many studies have linked eating breakfast to good health, including better memory and concentration, lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, and lower chances of getting diabetes, heart disease, and being overweight.

4. Breathe deeply: Try breathing slowly and deeply for a few minutes a day. It can help you to relax and maintain blood pressure. It is one of the best breathing exercises which has its own importance. It is also known as Pranayama and derived from two Sanskrit words, where prana means life-force and yama means control.

5. Good Sleep: Getting quality sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health. A good night's sleep is just as important as regular exercise and a healthy diet. Sleep makes you feel better, but its importance goes way beyond just boosting your mood or banishing under-eye circles.

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