What The Heck?! FIT?

 

 

What’s “Being Fit” anyway?

Fit can mean different things to different people in different fields. Are we talking about muscles? Or is it has to be about muscles? Certainly not, how about someone has the ability to run a 10km without breaking a sweat? How about someone able to summit a 2000 meters height mountain in less than 4 hours? What does it really involve? Let’s take a look at the basics. Strength, flexibility and stamina are the 3 main areas that incorporate “being fit”. How can we gain these three elements, and how much is enough?

  Strength

  

 

Strength is more than just a show of muscular power. While it does include things like how many    pounds one can lift, it also includes things like joint support to lessen the risk of injuries. Gaining strength does not start with weight lifting. It starts by slowly building up your muscle abilities and muscle endurance. Use your body against itself to gain basic strength. Push-ups and pull-ups, for example, are great ways to use your own body to build strength.

Yoga is a great strength training exercise, giving your body moves and poses that require muscles not often used.  Yoga is also a fantastic way to gain the core strength you need to maintain balance. Balance is not just something we all have. Your core muscles allow you to walk upright, stand on one foot, and skip across a balance beam.

Flexibility

While we’re on the subject of yoga…let’s talk about flexibility. This term is the word used to describe an ability to maintain free range of movement in the joint-muscle relationship, easily able to adapt to new requirements, all without causing pain or injury. If you’ve ever thought that the poses that yoga and pilates require are nearly impossible, you are right! “Nearly” is the key word. With practice and persistence, you will be able to gain and maintain the kind of flexibility that allows your body to do almost anything.

 

Stamina

This element of fitness is what allows our bodies to actually make it to the 30 minute mark or longer during a workout. Endurance, just like strength and flexibility, does not simply happen; it must be pursued and practiced. Start out small – like running for 2 minutes and then walking for 5, and repeat – and slowly work towards your goal. Stamina is built, not received. Aerobic exercise is imperative to building this endurance, and can be built by running, biking, dancing, swimming, and even boxing.

Life Changing Fitness

Being fit isn’t just a state of being, it’s a lifestyle! This lifestyle is the starting line on your way to happiness in life. With stamina, flexibility, and strength, you are preparing your body to deal with physical AND emotional activities. Stresses will seem less devastating, and may even become the least of your concerns.