Health & fitness is all about getting in shape and having a healthy lifestyle. It is a broad term and can mean different things to different people.
Typically, aerobic exercises like walking, swimming and dancing will improve your cardiorespiratory fitness. Muscle-strengthening exercises also help improve your fitness levels.
A good level of health & fitness will improve your quality of life and reduce the risk of disease.
Definition
Fitness is the ability to perform physical activities and sustain a healthy lifestyle. This can be achieved through regular exercise, a well-balanced diet, and adequate sleep. Fitness helps to reduce the risk of certain diseases, including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. It also improves mood, cognitive function, and overall productivity.
It is important to note that although physical fitness can be a component of wellness, it is not health itself. Poor health is often due to factors beyond the individual’s control and can occur in even highly fit individuals.
Several broad categories can be used to define fitness, such as endurance, strength, speed, agility and flexibility. However, these definitions are often too simplistic, as the body’s response to exercise is specific to the activity being performed, enhancing only those properties that are specifically challenged. For example, a marathon runner’s endurance may be far superior to an NFL lineman’s, but they both are considered “fit.” This is why a more holistic approach to health and fitness is needed.
Goals
When it comes to setting fitness goals, what’s important is that they fit your needs. It’s easy to get influenced by the latest workout trends or what others are doing, but ultimately you know what you’re capable of and what works best for your body.
A great way to keep yourself motivated is by working towards SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely) fitness goals. Whether it’s to run a marathon or bench press 100 pounds, having a specific end point will help you plan your route and ensure that you reach your destination successfully.
It’s also crucial to remember your “why.” What’s driving you toward your goals? Whether it’s to feel stronger, manage an underlying health condition, or create a better mind-body connection, having this in the back of your mind can give you that extra push when you’re on that last set of burpees. And don’t forget to celebrate your successes along the way!
Motivation
Many people find it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s easy to fall off the wagon after a few days of junk food or skipping a workout, especially if the motivation behind your new fitness journey is not strong enough.
Motivation is a key component of exercise adherence, and the literature has shown consistent support that more autonomous forms of motivation predict greater persistence with exercise. More specifically, the research has found that identification with exercise and competence satisfaction is associated with higher levels of exercise participation than motives based on utilitarian or social desirability.
If you are finding it hard to stick with a new fitness routine, try using some of the following tips to boost your motivation. It can be helpful to enlist the help of a friend or hire a personal trainer to keep you accountable and on track. There are also many apps that provide financial incentives to meet health and fitness goals.
Training
Health and fitness is a broad and dynamic community that is constantly evolving in accordance to people needs and their willingness to increase health and promote active lifestyle. It is a community that includes gyms and training centers, personal trainers and coaches as well as a massive group of online users, who practice various physical activities such as endurance training, flexibility and strength exercises to improve their fitness.
The health and fitness industry is a competitive, high-demand field that offers many career opportunities. You can build the foundation to pursue your career goals with a degree in health and fitness.
TCU embraces the teacher-scholar philosophy, which means your professors will immerse themselves in research-often alongside you. You’ll learn in the classroom, lab, and clinical settings and become a leader with this degree. You can also choose to follow your passion and study a specific area like fitness coaching, corporate wellness, or athletic conditioning. Learn to plan, organize and administer fitness programs that lead to optimal performance for a diverse population.
