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Physical fitness is used in two close meanings: general fitness (a state of health
Health

In 1948, the World Health Organisation defined health as ?a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.? ...
 and well-being) and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations).

Physical fitness is the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and muscles at optimum efficiency. In previous years, fitness was defined as the capacity to carry out the day’s activities without undue fatigue.






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Physical fitness is used in two close meanings: general fitness (a state of health
Health

In 1948, the World Health Organisation defined health as ?a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.? ...
 and well-being) and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations).

Physical fitness is the functioning of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and muscles at optimum efficiency. In previous years, fitness was defined as the capacity to carry out the day’s activities without undue fatigue. Automation increased leisure time, and changes in lifestyles following the industrial revolution meant this criterion was no longer sufficient. Optimum efficiency is the key. Physical fitness is now defined as the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases
Hypokinetic diseases

Hypokinetic diseases are conditions that occur from a sedentary lifestyle. Examples could include obesity and complications arising from obesity....
, and to meet emergency situations. Fitness can also be divided into five categories: aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

General fitness

  • Agility
    Sport agility

    Agility is the ability to change the body's human position, and requires a combination of balance, coordination , speed, reflexes, strength, endurance,and stamina....
  • Jumping
    Jumping

    Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory....
  • Balance
  • Body composition
    Body composition

    This article is about the body's contents of fat, bone, and muscle. For the chemical composition of the human body, see Composition of the human body....
  • Reflexes
  • Cardiovascular endurance
    Aerobic exercise

    Aerobic exercise refers to exercise that involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body. Aerobic means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or Adenosine triphosphate-generating process....
  • Coordination
    Motor coordination

    Motor coordination is among the most fundamental aspects of everyday life, seen in reaching for the morning cup of coffee to hitting the buttons on a clock to set your morning alarm....
  • Flexibility
    Flexibility

    Flexibility may refer to:*Flexibility , the range of motion of an anatomical joint, which may be increased by stretching*Flexibility , in the field of engineering systems design, designs that can adapt when external changes occur...
     and joint range of motion
    Range of motion

    Range of motion or , as used in the biomedical and weightlifting communities, is the measurement of the achievable distance between the flexed position and the extended position of a particular joint or muscle group....
  • Speed
    Sprint (race)

    Sprints are short running races in athletics . They are roughly classified as events in which top runners will not have to "pace themselves", but can run as fast as possible for the entire distance....
  • Stamina
    Endurance

    Endurance is the ability for humans to exert themselves for long period of time. Usually used in aerobic exercise or anaerobic exercise. The definition of 'long' varies according to the type of exertion - minutes for high intensity anaerobic exercise, hours or days for low intensity....
  • Strength
    Weight training

    Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the physical strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through Muscle contraction#Concentric contraction or Muscle contraction#Eccentric contraction....
  • Acceleration
    Acceleration

    File:Acceleration.JPGFile:Acceleration components.JPGIn physics, and more specifically kinematics, acceleration is the change in velocity over time....


Many sources also cite mental
Mental health

Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognition or emotional Quality of life or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychol...
 and emotional health as an important part of overall fitness. This is often presented in textbooks as a triangle
Triangle

A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a polygon with three corners or wikt:vertex and three sides or edges which are line segments....
 made up of three sub-sections, which represent physical, emotional, and mental fitness. Hence, one may be physically fit but may still suffer from a mental illness
Mental illness

A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability that is not expected as part of normal development or culture....
 or have emotional problems. The "ideal triangle" is balanced in all areas. Physical fitness can also prevent or treat many chronic health conditions brought on by unhealthy lifestyle
Lifestyle

Lifestyle was originally coined by Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler in 1929. The current broader sense of the word dates from 1961.In sociology, a lifestyle is the way a person lives....
 or aging, among other implications. Working out can also help people sleep better. To stay healthy it's important to participate in physical activity.

Specific fitness

Specific or task-oriented fitness is a person's ability to perform in a specific activity with a reasonable efficiency, for example, sports or military service
Military service

Military service in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other military organization, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft ....
. Specific training prepares athletes to perform well in their sports.

Examples are:
  • 400m sprint
    Sprint (race)

    Sprints are short running races in athletics . They are roughly classified as events in which top runners will not have to "pace themselves", but can run as fast as possible for the entire distance....
     - in a sprint the athlete must be trained to work anaerobically throughout the race.
  • Marathon
    Marathon

    The marathon is a long-distance running with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers that is usually run as a road race. The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens....
     - in this case the athlete must be trained to work aerobically and their endurance must be built-up to a maximum.


Fire fighters and police officers must undergo regular Fitness testing
Physical fitness test

A physical fitness test is a test designed to measure physical strength, sport agility, and endurance. They are commonly employed in educational institutions as part of the physical education curriculum, in medicine as part of diagnostic testing, and as eligibility requirements in fields that focus on physical ability such as military o...
 to determine if they are capable of the physically demanding tasks required for the job before they are employed.

See also

  • Physical exercise
    Physical exercise

    Physical exercise is any bodily activity that raises the heart rate above its resting level and enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health....
  • Personal Trainer
    Personal trainer

    File:Personal trainer showing a client how to exercise the right way and educating them along the way.jpgA personal trainer is a fitness professional who develops and implements an individualized approach to physical fitness, generally working one-on-one with a client....
  • CPR
  • National Academy of Sports Medicine
    National Academy of Sports Medicine

    Company OverviewThe National Academy of Sports Medicine is a certification, research and fitness education organization that was founded in California, United States in 1987....
  • Physical fitness test
    Physical fitness test

    A physical fitness test is a test designed to measure physical strength, sport agility, and endurance. They are commonly employed in educational institutions as part of the physical education curriculum, in medicine as part of diagnostic testing, and as eligibility requirements in fields that focus on physical ability such as military o...
  • Obesity
    Obesity

    Obesity is a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to an extent that health may be negatively affected. It is commonly defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher....
  • VO2 max
    VO2 max

    VO2 max is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual....
  • Exergaming
    Exergaming

    Exergaming is a term used for video games that also provide exercise. Exergames have one element of exercise and one element of gaming.Games fit in to the category of entertainment, and similarly Exergames are a category of Exertainment ....
  • Neutral spine
    Neutral spine

    A Neutral Spine or "good posture" refers to the "three natural curves [that] are present in a healthy spine."...
  • Health club
    Health club

    A health club is a place which houses Exercise machine for the purpose of physical exercise. There exist specific health clubs that specialize in catering for female exercisers and do not allow any male patrons on the premises....
  • Harvard Step Test
    Harvard Step Test

    The Harvard Step Test is a type of cardiac stress test for detecting and/or diagnosing cardiovascular disease.It also is a good measurement of fitness, and your ability to recover after a strenuous exercise....


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