What does it mean to be physically fit? Part II

In part I of this series we defined physical fitness as follows: Being physically fit is having the energy to perform your daily duties alertly and with vigor, while also maintaining adequate energy for leisure activities. In this article we will continue our analysis of this fitness definition so that readers can have a complete understanding of what they are really trying to accomplish when trying to get “physically fit.”

Definition Component #3 – “alertly and with vigor”

Physical fitness is about having the energy to enjoy life.

The next part of our definition of fitness states that in addition to having the energy to perform our daily duties we want to be able to perform them with “vigor and alertness”.  It is not enough to drag ourselves through the day barely completing the minimum required of us.  A physically fit person has the energy to vigorously perform their tasks while maintaining a mental sharpness and alertness inherent with physical fitness and the efficient use of energy.

Let’s go back to our example of an avid hiker to understand this concept more clearly. A reasonably long trail (perhaps 6 miles) can be completed by many people, including those that are not physically fit under our definition.  However, towards the end of our imaginary hike the unfit person will be extremely tired and unfocused, often walking slowly and lethargically as they draw their last bits of usable energy to make that last mile.  The physically fit hiker, however, will be walking the same speed as when he started, alertly aware of his surrounding even to the last step of the trail.  The point of this example is that even though you may physically be able to force yourself to do a particular task, you cannot force yourself to do it with “alertness and with vigor” when you are not physically fit enough for the task at hand.  It is a fact that many hikers die at the Grand Canyon as they reach exhaustion during their hike and simply fall off the side from lack of focus and attention to their footing.  They were not stopped because they could not move their legs any more, they were stopped because they lost the necessary alertness and could no longer perform the task (hike) adequately.  Mental alertness and vigor is just as important as the physical ability to perform the task. 

Definition Component #4 – “maintaining adequate energy for leisure activities”
The last part of our definition requires us also to maintain “adequate energy for leisure activities.”  If your job was to hike the grand canyon (perhaps as a Park Ranger) you would need to be physically fit enough to not only perform the hike with alertness and vigor, but you would also need enough energy to go home and play with your child, etc.  We are not physically fit for our needs if we exhaust all of our energy performing our necessary duties.  There must be some energy left over so that we are not exhausted at the end of our work day.  Only then will you feel physically fit 

Fundamentals of fitness
Now that we know what it means to be physically fit in my next article I will discuss the fundamentals of fitness: weight, body composition, nutrition, and exercise.