Why Physical Fitness Is A Must For A Healthy Life

Whether you’re over 40, a yuppie in your mid-20s or a teenager in college, loving your body and engaging in a regular exercise plan is always a fool-proof way to a healthier you. Physical fitness is your body’s ability to easily and effectively do tasks and leisure activities. It is your body’s capacity to withstand stress, endure and perform certain tasks under certain circumstances.

Image via WikipediaPhysical fitness talks about an over-all focus on the body – the heart, the lungs, the muscles, and the other organs of the body. Your body’s fitness is dependent on your physical limitations and capacities as well as your lifestyle – the food you eat and your daily habits.

Here’s a backgrounder on the different components of physical fitness. There’s endurance, the body’s ability to sustain oxygen and nutrients to tissues over a sustained period of time. Strength, on the other hand, is the ability of the muscle to exert force for a period of time. Flexibility is the ability to move joints and use muscles in a wide range of activities and movements. Swimming, running and jogging are some of the activities that can build endurance while pushups and weight lifting are good for building muscle strength.

Your workout should include activities that should develop these components. Remember to have a warm-up before starting your work-out. A warm-up conditions and prepares the muscles for the more rigorous activities of your work-out plan. At the same time, it should end with a cool down, a few minutes designed to bring down the heart rate and cool the body, wherein the muscles are given time to relax after a heavy work-out session. Remember not to overdo your exercise. A daily walk may sound good, but a daily session of pushups may do more harm than good to your muscles. Space your physical activities in such a way that your body is introduced gradually to a variety of physical activities, ranging from the simple to the more complex, from cardiovascular exercises to strength exercises. Two to three work-out sessions a week is a good way to start. As you progress in your activities, you can now increase the frequency or duration of your exercises.

Image via WikipediaTake note of your diet. If you’re exercising because you want to lose weight at the same time as build up your fitness, then lower calorie intake can greatly benefit you. Cycling can burn 240-410 calories while jogging can burn 740-920 calories. In general, avoid salty food and sweets. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. Lessen your intake of sugar, processed grains, and man-made fats, and be sure to drink lots of water.

Of course, keeping fit and staying fit means listening to your body. Allow your body to adjust with each change in routine and exercises. If you’re experiencing cramps, dizziness or prolonged weakness, stop your work-out and consult a doctor. And most of all, never be discouraged. Take note, achieving the body you want is not an overnight miracle.

A physically fit body does not only spell great abs and a flab-free stomach. It also means lesser chances of acquiring lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease, as well as a more active and alert mind, improved ability to cope with stress, and more reserved energy for your daily activities. And let’s not forget a more confident YOU!

For some fun ways to exercise and improve your physical fitness, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/exercise.html.