Improving Your Physical Fitness
Physical fitness is the body’s ability to carry out daily activities with energy and without undue fatigue. It is not a single quality but a combination of several components, and it can be improved gradually with regular activity.
Questions you may have include:
- What is physical fitness?
- What are its components?
- How can you improve it?
Components of fitness
Physical fitness usually includes cardiorespiratory endurance (the heart and lungs supplying oxygen during sustained activity), muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and a healthy body composition. Different activities develop different components.
A general approach
Fitness improves with regular, varied activity that you enjoy enough to keep doing, with gradual increases over time and adequate rest for recovery. Variety helps develop different components and keeps activity interesting, while recovery is when the body actually adapts and grows stronger.
Because the right activity and pace depend on your individual health, it is wise to consult a doctor or a qualified fitness professional before starting or changing an exercise program — particularly if you have any medical condition.
Summary
Physical fitness is the body’s capacity for daily activity, made up of endurance, strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. It improves through regular, varied activity, gradual progression, and proper recovery — ideally with guidance from a qualified professional.