Physical Fitness

MEANING AND CONCEPT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body: it is the basis of a dynamic and creative intellectual activity" -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Physical Fitness refers to the ability of the body to adapt to external environment and cope with daily activities. A physically fit person not only carries out his/her daily works, but also gets extra energy to enjoy leisure, ensuring the body can adapt to unexpected environmental changes and daily pressures.

IMPORTANT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND WELLNESS

• A physically fit person can manage the routine work efficiently and without getting fatigue and can improve the quality of his life.

• A physically fit person is less prone to coronary heart diseases.

• Physical fitness improves the efficiency of cardiovascular system.

• Physical fitness helps in harmonious growth and development.

• It fulfils proper nutritional requirement.

• Stress and tension can be handled properly by physical fitness.

• A physically fit person remains young for longer time.

• After injury or illness; one can recover quickly. Recovery from fatigue is also faster and quicker in physically fit persons.

• Moving abilities get improved. Speed, flexibility, strength, endurance, and coordination of body are improved to a great extent.

• Quality of works improved. Overall body functions are also improved. Response becomes more accurate therefore less wastage of energy can be resulted by physical fitness.

• Due to better functioning of system, one can achieve good health and optimum development of body by physical fitness.

• The shape, size, structure of the body and controlled weight can be obtained. One can also remove postural deformity through it.

PHYSICAL FITNESS COMPONENETS

There are five physical fitness components. These are:

1. Speed

Speed is the ability of a person to move the body or a part of the body quickly from one point to another in minimum time.

Key Points About Speed

• It is one of the main component of physical fitness.
• Depends on muscles strength, reaction time, coordination, and flexibility.
• Very important in sports like athletics, football, basketball, badminton, kabaddi, etc.
• Measured usually in time taken to cover a fixed distance.

Types of Speed

1.Reaction speed

Time taken to respond to a stimulus (like starting pistol in a race).

2. Acceleration Speed

Ability to increase speed quickly from a stationary position.

3.Movement Speed

Fast repetitive movements(fast arms or leg actions)

4. Speed Endurance

Ability to maintain speed for a longer time without fatigue.

2. Endurance

Endurance is the ability of the body to perform an activity or exercise for a long period without getting tired quickly. It shows how long you can sustain physical effort.

Key Points About Endurance

• Also called stamina.
• Essential for long-duration activities(running, Cycling, Swimming)
• Involves the heart, lungs, and muscles working efficiently.
• The better your endurance, the longer you can work with less fatigue.

3. Flexibility

Flexibility is the ability of a joint or body part to move freely though its full range of motion without stiffness or pain.

Key Points About Flexibility

• It helps your body bend, twist, stretch, and move easily.
• Improves posture and overall movement.
• Depends on joint structure, muscle elasticity, and ligament length.

4. Coordinative Abilities

Coordinative abilities are the skills that allow the body to perform smooth, accurate, and well-controlled movements. They help the brain and muscles work together efficiently.

👉How well your body and mind coordinate during movement.

Key Points About Coordinative Abilities

• They control the timing, precision, and smoothness of movement.
• Very important in sports like gymnastics, badminton, cricket, football, kabaddi, etc.
• Improve overall skill performance

5. Strength

Strength is the ability of the muscles to exert force against resistance.

👉How much force your muscles can produce.

Key Points About Strength

• It is the basic component of physical fitness.
• Needed for lifting, pushing, pulling, jumping, and throwing.
• Depends on muscles size, nervous system efficiency, and training.
• Important in sports like wrestling, weightlifting, kabaddi, athletics, football, etc.

IMPROVING FITNESS

Fitness can be improved by engaging in various activities, exercises and sports. If you are engaging in such an activity or sport, it is best if you can spend an hour or more on it every day. If you are suffering from an illness or a physical weakness, it is important to follow medical advice when engaging in fitness improvement programmes. The following activities are a few that you can carry out in order to improve your physical fitness.

i. Rapid walking

ii. Jogging

iii. Cycling

iv. Various Jumping Activities

v. Swimming

vi. Running on sand or on the beach

vii. Engaging in a simple game

viii. Skipping rope exercise

ix. Engaging in a sport (volleyball, netball, football, badminton or any other similar game)

👍Games and sports improve all our body functions ; make better muscular coordination and improve our lifestyle with fitness and wellness.