Why Is Physical Fitness So Important?

There are a number of important reasons why physical fitness is important and why people should exercise. To learn why fitness is essential, you need to understand why diet and exercise are important.

The dictionary defines fitness as:

1. The state or condition of being fit; suitability or appropriateness.
2. Good health or physical condition, especially as the result of exercise and proper nutrition.
3. Biology The extent to which an organism is adapted to or able to produce offspring in a particular environment.

This means that being fit is essentially synonymous with being healthy. Being fit means a number of things: being in shape, eating right, not being overweight and taking care of your body. All of these things are essential to living a long and healthy life. As the President's Council on Fitness puts it:

"Physical fitness is to the human body what fine tuning is to an engine. It enables us to perform up to our potential."

It is important to be physically fit so you can be a strong, healthy, disease-free person who lives a long and productive life.

Downsides of Obesity

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one third of adults in America were classified as obese in 2007 and 2008. These numbers reflect a similar trend to those from a 2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in which it was found that 37% of U.S. adults over the age of 20 were classified as obese. Furthermore, of those adults classified as obese, 5.9% were actually considered "extremely" obese.

The high percentages of obesity are not limited to adults. Records from a 2003 and 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed that approximately 17% of children were also obese. These numbers show a startling increases in all age groups of children:

• The percentage of obese children between two and five increased from 7.2% to 13.9% when comparing the records from 1988 through 1994 to the records from 2003 through 2004.
• The percentage of obese children ages six to eleven increased from 11% to 19%
• The percentage of obese adolescents between the ages of 12 and nineteen increased from 11% to 17%.

Obesity can cause a number of health problems, including:

• Heart disease or stroke
• Diabetes
• Certain types of cancer
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Abnormal menstrual cycles
• Infertility
• Arthritis
• Liver problems
• Gallbladder problems
• Sleep apnea
• Difficulty breathing

When you are obese, your body has to work harder to do everything. This puts stress and strain on your organs. The more obese you get, the harder it is to exercise. This can contribute to making you even more obese, creating a vicious cycle.

Obesity is caused primarily by high calorie intake and sedentary lifestyles. Being physically fit means not being obese. If you are not physically fit, you may be at serious risk of shortening your life span.

Importance of Exercise

Exercise is a key part of fitness. It is important not only to help prevent obesity, and avoid all the problems associated with being overweight, but also because there are numerous health benefits to exercise.

Exercise is defined as:

1. activity for the purpose of training or developing the body or mind; systematic practice; esp., bodily exertion for the sake of health
2. a regular series of specific movements designed to strengthen or develop some part of the body or some faculty such as finger exercises for the piano

CDC studies show that only 32.5% of adults engage in regular leisure time physical activity (exercise) while 36% of adults engage in no leisure time physical activity (exercise) at all.

The CDC reports that exercise can:

• Help you control your weight and minimize the risk of obesity
• Reduce the risk of diseases including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancers
• Strengthen your bones, helping to minimize your chances of developing osteoporosis
• Improve your mood
• Increase your chances of living a long life
• Improve your mental health and mood
• Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you're an older adult
• Increase your chances of living longer

The National Institutes of Health also suggests that exercise can boost your immune system, helping you to fight off both major infections or diseases and minor illnesses. As little as 30 minutes of exercise a day can even make a dramatic difference.

Exercise is an important component to being physically fit, taking care of yourself, and living a long and healthy life.