Every day there are articles in the news on some aspect of fitness, but are they all telling us something important that we need to focus on? How do we decide what we really need to do vs. what is just nice to know? One place to start is to get a clear idea of what it means to be fit.
Fitness Is Not Binary
There is no hard line that marks fit vs. unfit. One reason is because different people have different requirements for their lives. An NFL linebacker, for example, needs to be heavy and strong while a pro tennis player needs to be fast and have excellent endurance. If the linebacker tried to play in the U.S. Open, they probably wouldn’t make it through a single match. If the tennis player tried to play defense in the Super Bowl they’d get crushed—probably more literally than figuratively. Yet, both are elite athletes whose bodies perform at peak efficiency for their needs. What matters is context.
Another reason fitness is more fluid than binary is because the perceived negative consequences of being unfit are not guaranteed. Plenty of individuals who do not exercise, eat well, or maintain a certain weight live long lives while doing the activities that they want to do. Others, who invest a lot of time and energy in their health still sometimes suffer from heart attacks, cancers, arthritis, or other diseases and ailments. We know this from our everyday experience.
A Loose Definition Of Fitness
Since fitness is dependent on person and context, a definition can’t be a hard one; it can only be loose at best. There are, though, some ingredients that I think can reasonably be considered as important for everyone:
Strength – Every person needs to maintain a certain level of strength. As we age, we lose both muscle mass and coordination. If strength gets low enough, we become frail.
Mobility/Flexibility – We all need to move around. Loss of flexibility and range of motion can lead to aches and pains and more serious conditions like arthritis. Everyone should maintain some minimums on flexibility and range of motion.
Reasonable Cardiovascular Conditioning – It is questionable whether or not one needs the ability to jog or run any particular distance. It is reasonable to be able to climb stairs, go for a long walk, or maybe do some hiking without huffing and puffing. It is also important to maintain a healthy blood pressure, and cardiovascular fitness helps.
I do not believe the average person can really be considered fit if they are grossly deficient in any one of these key points.
Specifics Depends On Context
That being said, since the above are simply ingredients to a general formula, they are somewhat variable. To get a sense of what fit will mean for you, you must ask some questions such as: What are my goals? What am I clearly lacking? What am I willing to do to get myself there? As always, if these questions are somewhat unclear, it helps to consult professionals.