We’re looking for people who want to become physically fit! As most people get older, they spend the majority of their life sitting. Whether it is in the car, behind the desk or in front of the television when they get home from work. The comfort of relaxing comes with a price though.
People who are physically unfit often struggle with
- obesity,
- shortness of breath,
- weak muscles,
- chronic fatigue,
- mood swings,
- insomnia,
- irritability and
- other chronic health problem.
By reading this article, it means you want to become physically fit. Whether it is because you are noticing some of the signs of physical unfitness or you want to prevent them from happening.
Getting fit
What is physical fitness?
Being ‘physically fit’ means that you need to have a balance of the components of being healthy. These components include:
- cardiorespiratory fitness
- muscular strength
- muscular endurance
- body composition
- flexibility
Cardiorespiratory fitness
Cardiorespiratory endurance indicates how well our body can supply fuel during physical activity. The energy is supplied via the body’s circulatory and respiratory systems. Activities that cause an elevated heart rate for a sustained period help improve cardiorespiratory endurance. These activities include:
- swimming
- brisk walking on the treadmill
- jogging
- spinning
Exercising increases cardiorespiratory endurance in a number ways. One of the major methods is that cardiovascular activity strengthens the heart to make it able to pump more blood, per heartbeat, to the muscles. Furthermore, small arteries grow within muscle tissue. This is so that blood can be delivered to muscles – while they are working – more effectively.
Muscular strength
Muscular strength is the ability of muscle to exert force during an activity. Muscle strength can be measured by lifting or pushing a set weight in a prescribed position. If muscles are worked constantly and regularly, it will increase the strength that a person displays. An activity which works a muscle until exhaustion will gradually increase muscle strength.
A great activity to increase muscular strength is working out with kettlebells in addition to being a great cardio workout as it elevates the heart rate significantly. A kettlebell workout is known for being a great calorie-burner however, it’s extremely important that you adopt the proper form as – if you don’t (especially with the kettlebell swing) you could end up putting your lower back out.
Muscle endurance
Muscle endurance is the ability of a muscle to continue exerting force without fatiguing. This is when the body focuses more on the cardiovascular system, ensuring that the muscles receive the oxygenated blood they need to keep functioning.
Body composition
Body composition measures the relative amounts of muscles, bone, water and fat. You can maintain the same weight but radically change the ratio of each of the components that make up the body. Dietitians and biokineticists use skin fold callipers to measure the amount of body fat a person has.
Flexibility
When we speak about ‘flexibility’ we’re speaking about the range of movement across a joint. It is important because it improves the body’s ability to link movements together smoothly and can help prevent injuries.
Flexibility is increased by various activities. Three types of exercises are usually used:
- Dynamic stretching: this is the capability of a joint to complete a full range of motion.
- Static-active stretching: this activity is about holding the body (part) in a stretched position and keeping that stretch position for a period of time.
- Ballistic stretching: only used when the body is already warmed up and limber from exercise and it involves stretching in various positions and bouncing.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
If you want to become or maintain your physical fitness, you need to find the right balance of cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition and flexibility exercises. Every person differs, so consult your personal trainer on which would be more important for your body. Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy to find out how you can become a personal trainer with the Personal Training Diploma in addition to the other bespoke courses in the package.
