What Is Fitness and the Components of Fitness

Doing exercise for fitness is not merely a notion of today's modern marketers though you could be forgiven for thinking so with all the air play it gets these days.

In fact, it has its roots firmly entrenched in the antiquity; in the words of Aristotle he defined a thing as being fit if "it suited its purpose well". According to this definition, our body is fit when it serves its purpose well. This means our heart, lungs, eyes, muscles, brain and all other organs which fulfill various bodily functions need to receive our full attention to stay fit and healthy for the duration of our lives.

One of the secrets and benefits of physical fitness is intense workout activity; this forces the heart to pump the blood faster, thus increasing the oxygen percentage at cellular level and removing waste that accumulates as a result of natural processes that occur in the body.

A moderate level of exercise for fitness will contribute to an increase of the HDL, which is the "good" cholesterol. The role of HDL or High Density Lipoprotein is to regulate blood sugar levels and to help converting the fat into energy, thus being an important aid in weight loss programs.

Developing and sticking to a regular fitness program comes with other added benefits.

You'll get an increased muscle mass, better looking legs, buttocks and abs and an overall healthier appearance. Your skin will look healthier and smoother and your balance will improve. Your new found fitness will also have you looking much younger than your real age so another of the benefits of physical fitness is anti-aging.

So as you can see all of these factors will contribute to a new found feeling of well-being as well as increased self-esteem.

Depending on your short term goals, you can alternate your fitness routines in such a way that you help some systems in your body more than others. For instance, if you feel your cardiovascular system needs some strengthening, you can go for aerobic routines that will help you accomplish your goal.

If you want to improve your balance, then you need to perform a series of special routines mostly encountered in yoga and Pilates. And to add some muscle do resistance exercises with weights.

One thing you should know: whatever type of fitness exercises you decide to do, your whole body is going to benefit. The body works as a total unit; it is a highly sophisticated integrated system in which all the different parts have their roles but each of them also influences others.

This is why fitness routines performed at least three times a week in sessions of at least 30 minutes can improve our cognitive functions. The brain is stimulated by the increased blood flow and by the oxygen that comes to feed the cells at a higher rate. Hormone secretion is also stimulated by sustained activity; therefore the risk of developing depression is significantly lowered.

If you are really committed to reinventing yourself and building a healthier and more glowing you, there's no need to start at full pace. Just ease yourself into it until your body gets used to the new changes that are taking place and then each month just increase your levels of intensity.

A simple brisk 30 minute walk every morning is a great place to start. Follow this up with a gradual increase in activity by maybe going to aerobics classes or joining a gym and doing some resistance training.

Just do what your level of fitness permits then gradually increase the level as you become fitter. Within two to three months you will be surprised how much better you feel and look. It is well worth the effort of getting started and reaping some of the many physical benefits of exercise.