Talking About Fitness By Chedan B. Ceriaco, Rn

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you aware of your own fitness? If yes, you consider honing your resilience as well as mental and emotional health. Yes, physical fitness supports those three components. But if fitness does not sound good to you because of some reasons, let’s say obesity, now is the time to gain better insight regarding such a word. Fitness is a part of lifestyle. It influences the general health of an individual. Further, a complex array of nutrition should be essential in attaining and maintaining fitness. It is in our will whether to gain a healthy lifestyle through physical fitness or be stagnant to change and hoard health risks. As a health care worker, one of my roles would be to disseminate ways to attain and maintain healthy lifestyle. 2

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Physiologists say that the average person can derive health benefits from as little as three 20-minute running workouts a week. (Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved).

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By exercising regularly, people can keep their bodies in shape, improve their health, and reduce stress. Here, an elementary school class in India learns the basic stretches of Yoga, an exercise based on ancient Hindu philosophy. (Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved).

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Fitness defined As stated in the book “Understanding Nutrition” by Whitney and Rolfes (2002), fitness refers to the characteristics that enable the body to perform physical activity. These characteristics include: Ø flexibility of joints Ø strength and endurance of muscles, including the heart’s; and Ø a healthy body composition.

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Two other definitions can also be found in their book: the ability to meet routine physical demands with enough reserve energy to rise to a sudden challenge and the body’s ability to withstand stress. The second definition pertains to both physical and psychological stresses. Further according to Whitney and Rolfes (2002), the opposite of a physically active life is a sedentary life which literally means “sitting down a lot.” And it is a fact that sedentary lifestyle fosters the development of several chronic diseases.

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Components of fitness: Flexibility, muscle strength and endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance According to Whitney and Rolfes (2002), flexibility allows the joints to move with less chance of injury. Muscle strength and muscle endurance enable muscles to work harder and longer without fatigue. Cardiorespiratory endurance supports the ongoing action of the heart and lungs.

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Overload principle FREQUENCY Ø Performing the activity/exercise more often  INTENSITY Ø Performing the activity more strenuously  DURATION Ø Doing the activity for longer times 

These 3 strategies, according to Whitney and Rolfes, work well individually or in combination. The rate of progression, however, depends on individual characteristics like fitness level, age, health status, and preference. 18

Whitney and Rolfes emphasize that if you enjoy the workout, do it more often. If you do not have much time, increase the intensity. If you hate hard work, take it easy and go longer. If you prefer continuous improvements, remember to overload progressively as you reach higher levels of fitness. Here are several tips when applying the overload principle: Ø Be active all week, not just on weekends Ø Use proper equipment and attire Ø Include warm-up and cool-down activities in each session Ø Train hard enough to challenge your strength or endurance a few times each week, do moderate workouts between challenges and include at least 1 day of rest each week 19

Ø Pay attention to body signals like abnormal heartbeats, dizziness, lightheadedness, cold sweat, confusion, or pain or pressure in the middle of chest, teeth, jaw, neck, or arm

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Various benefits of fitness As summarized by Whitney and Rolfes, the following are physical improvements that physically fit people enjoy:  Restful sleep Ø Rest and sleep occur naturally after periods of physical activity. During rest, the body repairs injuries, disposes of wastes generated during activity, and builds new physical structures.  Nutritional health Ø Physical activity spends energy and thus allows people to eat more food. If they choose wisely, active people will consume more nutrients and be less likely to develop nutrient deficiencies.

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Optimal body composition Ø A balanced program of physical activity limits body fat and maintains lean tissue. Physically active people have relatively less body fat than sedentary people at the same body weight.  Optimal bone density Ø Weight-bearing physical activity builds bone strength and protects against osteoporosis.  Resistance to colds and other infectious diseases Ø Fitness enhances immunity.  Low risks of some types of cancers Ø Lifelong physical activity may help to protect against colon cancer, breast cancer, and others. 

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Strong circulation and lung function Ø Physical activity that challenges the heart and lungs slows the aging of the circulatory system.  Low risk of cardiovascular disease Ø Physical activity lowers blood pressure, slows resting pulse rate, and lowers blood cholesterol, thus reducing the risks of heart attacks and strokes. Some research suggests that physical activity may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in another way as well – by reducing intra-abdominal fat stores.  Low risk of type 2 diabetes Ø Physical activity normalizes glucose tolerance especially via the secretion of insulin. 

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Reduced risk of gallbladder disease in women Ø Regular physical activity reduces women’s risk of gallbladder disease – perhaps by facilitating weight control and lowering blood lipid levels.  Low incidence and severity of anxiety and depression Ø Compared with sedentary people, physically active people deal better with psychological stress.  Strong self-image Ø The sense of achievement that comes from meeting physical challenges promotes self-confidence.  Long life and high quality of life in the later years Ø Active people have a lower mortality rate than sedentary people. 

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Physical activity pyramid by the American college of sports medicine DO SPARINGLY – Limit sedentary activities. 2-3 DAYS A WEEK – Engage in strength and flexibility activities and enjoy leisure activities often. 3-5 DAYS A WEEK – Engage in vigorous activities regularly.

EVERYDAY – Be as active as possible.

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DO SPARINGLY Ø Watch TV, videos, or movies Ø Play computer games 

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2-3 DAYS A WEEK Ø Sit-ups, push-ups Ø Strength training such as weight lifting Ø Stretching exercise like yoga Ø Leisure activities such as: - canoeing - dancing - golfing - horseback riding - bowling 

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3-5 DAYS A WEEK Ø Aerobic exercises like: - running - biking - swimming - roller-blading - rowing - cross-country skiing - kickboxing - power walking - dancing - jumping rope 

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Ø Sports activities such as: - basketball - soccer - volleyball - tennis - football - racquetball - softball

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EVERYDAY Ø Use the stairs Ø Walk or bike to class, work, or shops Ø Scrub floors, wash windows Ø Walk your dog Ø Mow grass, rake leaves, turn compost, shovel snow Ø Wash and wax your car Ø Play with children 

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Diet supporting fitness (by Whitney and Rolfes) Water Ø During activity, thirst signals come too late, so don’t wait to feel thirsty before drinking. Water is depleted more rapidly than any other nutrient. 

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Nutrient density Ø A healthful diet is based on nutrient-dense foods – foods that supply adequate vitamins and minerals for the energy they provide. Active people need to eat both for nutrient adequacy and for energy. A diet that is high in carbohydrate, low in fat, and adequate in protein ensures full glycogen and other nutrient stores. 

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Carbohydrate Ø During intensive training, energy needs may be so high as to outstrip the person’s capacity to eat enough food to meet them. At that point, added sugar and fat may be needed. The person can add concentrated carbohydrate foods such as dried fruits, sweet potatoes, nectars, and even high-fat foods like avocados, nuts, cookies, and ice cream. Still, a nutrient-rich diet remains central for adequacy’s sake. 

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Protein Ø Meats and milk products are rich sources of protein, but to recommend that active people emphasize these foods would be narrow advice for many reasons. For one thing, all people must protect themselves from heart disease, and even lean meats and reduced- or low-fat milk products contain fat, much of it saturated fat. For another, as emphasized repeatedly, active people need diets rich in carbohydrate, and of course, meats have none to offer. Legumes, whole grains, and vegetables provide protein with abundant carbohydrate and little fat. 

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According to Joel S. Cabanilla, PhD, a lifestyle that encompasses sound health and outstanding physical and mental fitness costs little to maintain, it cannot be stolen from you or taxed. It is enjoyable almost from the first moment you accept and start practicing it, and it is well within your grasp. Moreover, according to Cabanilla, achieving good health and fitness should be an enjoyable process. You can do as much or as little as you like toward making changes in your life, as long as you enjoy the process.

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Time and experience prove that sedentary people may attain and maintain quality living by means of practicing fitness accompanied by all other strategies for wellness. Accepting a distortion in lifestyle should be first achieved by a sedentary person in order to meet the process of change toward practicing fitness. It does feel good when your body looks fit, enabling you to do the things you like vibrantly. Enjoy life and aim for fitness!

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References 

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Ulrich, Celeste. "Physical Fitness." Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2008. E. N. Whitney and S. R. Rolfes. “Fitness.” Understanding Nutrition. Singapore: Thompson Learning Asia, 2002. E. N. Whitney and S. R. Rolfes. “Diets for Physically Active People.” Understanding Nutrition. Singapore: Thompson Learning Asia, 2002.

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