| Many people have their own definition of fitness. The | | | | bad situation in which you need to use a combination |
| problem is that most people have subconsciously | | | | of strength, endurance, and possibly flexibility in order to |
| picked up their definition of physical fitness from the | | | | survive something. If you can run a marathon but can't |
| media. In my experience, any thought or belief brought | | | | sprint 100 yards without passing out, what's the point? |
| on by the media isn't the one you should believe. The | | | | I'd like to know when in your life you're ever going to |
| media tends to give us the wrong perceptions about | | | | have to run a marathon for survival. |
| almost everything. We subconsciously pick up on the | | | | There are many different types of endurance and |
| subtle innuendos on fitness and they become lodged in | | | | strength. For example, you have short and long-term |
| our thought process. Things such as "if you don't have | | | | endurance. You have explosive, reactive, maximal, and |
| 6 pack abs, you aren't in shape", "only those with huge | | | | endurance strength. In my mind, to be physically fit |
| muscles are physically fit", or "big muscles are what | | | | means you have at least an average development in |
| make a person strong". | | | | every single one of these areas. |
| Every person, whether they know it or not, holds a | | | | Notice how this doesn't require you to have your abs |
| belief system dictating what they think a physically fit | | | | so defined that people's jaws drop as you walk by? It |
| person should look like. Most of the time this belief | | | | isn't imperative that you're as "ripped" as possible - |
| excludes people with a little more fat than would be | | | | that's just something that comes naturally as a result |
| expected from someone with amazing levels of | | | | of this type of training your body. |
| fitness. The majority of individuals think that the only | | | | I know of people who were "fat", yet had the agility |
| people who are really strong and in shape are those | | | | and strength to do a 1-handed handstand. There are |
| with big, bulging muscles. | | | | boxers today that have a good amount of fat on |
| Although there are still some bodybuilders with a | | | | them, but can fight through an entire boxing match. |
| combination of big muscles, flexibility, and great | | | | This is the same for skinny people. People might look |
| endurance - it's becoming a rare occurrence. Most | | | | at me and think "he's not that big; he's probably not |
| people train for one specific goal, which is to get big | | | | very strong". I don't have huge muscles because I don't |
| muscles. They might be great in the gym, but what | | | | train or eat for big muscles. I train to have fun, and in |
| happens when they actually have to use their muscles | | | | doing this type of training I have gotten a lot stronger, |
| in a real-life situation? | | | | more flexible, and I impress people with some of the |
| Physical fitness, in my mind, goes way beyond the | | | | things I can do. Friends at work are bewildered by |
| boundaries of what happens when you're working out. | | | | some of the exercises I perform because I don't "look" |
| It involves how your body reacts to situations and how | | | | that strong. I could build more muscles if I wanted to, |
| effectively it can work as a whole. | | | | but right now it's not a priority of mine. I'd rather gain |
| My Definition Of Physical Fitness | | | | the strength, and then work on building muscle. |
| When I think of total physical fitness, looks don't play a | | | | The next time you're in the gym and feel yourself |
| huge role in it. Sure, having a great body is a good sign | | | | judging somebody else based on their looks, take a |
| that you're in shape, but there are plenty of people | | | | time to realize that you may be wrong about them. |
| who others would consider "fat" or "not big enough" | | | | Physical fitness is something you can't perceive at first |
| who possess amazing abilities when it comes to | | | | glance. Be willing to set your beliefs aside for a |
| fitness. | | | | moment and try incorporating some new exercises |
| To me, the definition of physical fitness is having the | | | | into your current workout routine. Your body works as |
| total package. It's the ability to be able to use your | | | | a whole, and you should train it as such. Try doing this |
| body in any given situation. It's the ability to get out of a | | | | and watch your current physical fitness levels soar. |