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The Importance of Personal Fitness
Today we are constantly bombarded with information about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and fitness is a major part of this. Our bodies have to last for the whole duration of our lives so it’s worthwhile looking after them. Today we are also fortunate as the media has made us far more aware of the importance of physical fitness than we were in the past. Whether in books or magazines, on television, or on the Internet, there are a great number of information sources citing the value of physical fitness to our overall wellbeing. However, although we are more aware now than ever before of the importance which this has to our lives we are also doing less and less activity on a daily basis. This is partly because the jobs which we do demand that we simply sit at a chair all day, but also because we are becoming increasingly preoccupied by passive pursuits such as watching television. Read more about Healthy LivingOne extreme example in which personal fitness would be useful is in running away from somebody who wishes to harm you. Being fit will enable you to run faster and for much longer, increasing the chance of getting away. Of course, there are a thousand other examples which you are more likely to experience on a daily basis such as being able to lift heavy boxes easily or ride a bicycle without becoming so tired. Benefits of physical fitnessFirstly, a healthy body is better able to resist illness. The immune system becomes more effective as the body does not become tired so easily. This extra energy means that you can keep fighting off illness for longer and won’t become as tired when doing so. Our self-worth may also improve. When mixing with others in a social environment simply knowing that we are fit and able is enough to make us feel more confident. On top of this, being fit means that we appear physically good to others. The heart’s strength improves with exercise. This has many benefits. Not only does it allow you to carry out even more exercise, but it means that your blood circulation improves which helps you to stay warmer when the weather is cold. On top of this, as you get older your heart gets weaker and weaker and you become more susceptible to heart problems - having a healthy heart now helps ensure that it remains healthy for longer as you age. As well as this, the other cardiovascular benefit of exercise is for the lungs. The lung capacity increases with exercise and the amount of oxygen which we can take into the lungs also increases. This has many benefits to our health and is also of use when we begin to get older and our lungs become weak. Good physical fitness doesn’t only affect our bodies either, but also improves our minds. With better blood flow to the brain we are able to think more clearly and quickly as well as concentrate for longer. The saying “healthy body, healthy mind” really does apply and, as you can now see, fitness is of vital importance to our lifestyle. Read about Exercise importnace |
Fitness is not important purely as a means of competing in sport. In fact the real importance of personal fitness lies in the health benefits which it gives. Just knowing this should help those who do not currently do much exercise increase the amount of physical activity which they engage in. 