EXERCISE TIP: Fitness Fundamentals

A lot of us think that fitness is the ability to run long distances or be able to lift the heaviest weights. However, fitness is more than this. Complete fitness is defined by how well you can cope with everyday life - the ability to walk up stairs carrying groceries or boxes.

To achieve complete fitness, you need to focus on the five fitness fundamentals - aerobic fitness, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility.

Aerobic fitness is defined by how well your heart and lungs work. It's the ability of your heart to pump oxygen rich blood to your working muscles and the ability of your lungs to remove carbon dioxide. The fitter you are, the more efficient your heart and lungs work to sustain the same intensity of physical activity.

Body composition can be broken up into two components - your fat mass and your fat-free mass (muscles, bones, organs, ligaments and tendons). Everyone has a different physique and it's important to keep the fat mass within a healthy range as this makes completing daily activities easier.

Muscular strength is the ability of the muscle to exert force. The stronger you are the more force you are to exert. The more muscle you have, generally means the stronger you are. Muscular strength is extremely important in all parts of life. Without muscular strength, you would be able to lift objects and transport them from one place to another.

Muscular endurance refers to your muscle's ability to perform without fatigue. A perfect example of how you use muscular endurance everyday is when you carry your groceries inside from your car. Without any muscular endurance, you wouldn't be able to do this simple chore.

Flexibility is the ability of your joint to move through a full range of motion. Good flexibility is important in protecting the joints and reducing the muscle-tendon injuries. Without flexibility, a lot of daily tasks become hard. Without flexibility, you wouldn't be able to tie up your shoelaces.

Now you know about the five fitness fundamentals, it's time to commit to be fit - complete fitness that. For more information on this topic, see the February issue of the Australian Healthy Food Guide magazine.