why fitness is essential in our life – What is it? – Under the meaning of fitness, there are two closely related definitions. First, we understand fitness is the state of physical health and well-being achieved by leading a healthy life supported by continuous exercise over time and a healthy diet. Secondly, fitness is also defined as gymnastic movements repeated twice a week to achieve the good physical shape

. Usually, these exercises are carried out in specific sports spaces, such as gyms.

The objectives of this sport practice are to improve aerobic resistance, have greater flexibility, achieve muscle strength, achieve localized muscle strength and achieve body balance (it must respect specific percentages of what is considered healthy in muscles, bones and fats).

For years, fitness has been booming in the United States, but its importance has already spread to Europe and some South American countries, such as Colombia.

Athletes who attend this sports discipline usually perform a series of runs, squats, push-ups and jumps combined with field exercises, such as breakdancing.

Profits

If the athlete maintains a balanced exercise program, the advantages of this discipline are:

  • Improvement of aerobic resistance. The series of exercises are carried out several times a week, which is why it increases the development of the cardiorespiratory system and, therefore, resistance.
  • It strengthens the internal and external physical condition, which also implies an increase in the self-esteem of the person who practices it.
  • Reduces the risk of developing diseases such as obesity or cardiovascular risks, such as high cholesterol, hypertension, etc.

Avoid stress.

The practice of this type of high-impact sports activity helps the athlete to relaxed and has less risk of suffering stress or depression.

Fitness offers numerous advantages, both in improving physical and mental condition.

How do I distinguish if an activity is considered fitness?

For an activity to fall into the fitness category, it must carried out regularly and fully linked to a good diet and healthy lifestyle habits. In addition, you must meet several criteria:

  • Some of the objectives of this type of training are to improve the resistance and strength of the individual. The sports routine must carried out at least two or three times a week to achieve this.
  • It is essential that the person doing fitnessin the good physical condition and present localized muscular resistance. When the activity practised, the athlete will have to have the necessary resistance to maintain a muscle in tension for a prolonged period r repeat the same series of movements several times.
  • Have flexibility. These exercises require a lot of warming up, so the athlete must have flexibility throughout the body.
  • Fitness requires that the athlete have a harmonious physical shape and maintain normal fat levels: men between 18 and—per cent and women, between 22 and 24 per cent.

To get in good physical shape, fitness relies on using some machines. The most used are the elliptical, exercise bike, rowing, stair simulator and treadmills. In addition, they often use weight training equipment to reinforce muscle training and increase the strength to perform the series of exercises.

Fitness vs culturismo

In the United States, it is common for bodybuilding competitions to have a category called fitness. However, although the appearance of fitness has displaced the participation of women in bodybuilding, they are not similar since, in bodybuilding, they compete for aesthetics. In contrast, the participants have to perform a series of exercises in fitness.

The main differences between these two concepts are:

  • Fitness aims to improve the state of the body by training the muscles. Bodybuilding only meant to strengthen muscles.
  • Fitness implies, in some cases, that body mass lost. Bodybuilding requires that body mass increased.
  • Athletes combine aerobic and anaerobic exercises in fitness, while in bodybuilding, anaerobic strength exercises mainly performed.