The Fitness Game
Have you ever heard the phrase "fit as a fiddle"? It is an old saying that originated a few hundred years ago. The term dates back to early 17th-century England and first appeared in print around 1616 in William Haughton’s play English-men for my Money. However, In the 1600s, "fit" did not mean physical health or exercise. It meant "suitable," "proper," or "adjusted right for a purpose" (similar to saying something is "fit for duty").
But fit has had the sense in good ‘form’ or condition only since the 19th century. Before that, it meant only convenient, becoming, right and proper (i.e. fitting). The fiddle (violin) was seen as a finely crafted instrument, and if it was in good shape, it played beautifully.
So, being "fit as a fiddle" wasn’t just about being healthy, it was about being in prime condition, much like a well-tuned instrument as so determined in olden days. But, being fit became being described in similar fashion as being healthy.
Today, when someone says that they are as "fit as a fiddle," it usually refers to their physical well-being. "Fit" now implies physical stamina, making the phrase a cheerful way to say someone has bounce, strength, or a clean bill of health. Some common modern contexts also mean:
Recovery: Feeling completely healed after being sick.
Aging well: Describing an older adult who has high mobility and vitality.
Daily energy: Waking up refreshed and ready for physical tasks.
Yet, how does being fit translate to fitness? Being fit is the active, ongoing state of your body, while fitness is the overall capacity and measurement of how well your body functions during physical tasks. Being fit translates directly into functional fitness by improving your heart health, muscle strength, and daily energy.
Here are some core connections to fitness:
Action: Being fit means you exercise and move.
Result: Fitness is the higher level of health you gain from that movement.
Daily life: Fit habits make daily tasks like climbing stairs or carrying groceries easy.
What are some key components of fitness?
Cardio: Strong heart and lungs for long-term energy.
Strength: Muscles that can lift and work without quick pain.
Flexibility: Joints that move easily to stop injuries.
Recovery: Your body's ability to rest and fix itself fast.
You probably already know that fitness is vital to physical and mental health. But how do you define fitness? Are you fit if you regularly exercise for at least 30 minutes per day, five days per week, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? What if you “eat the rainbow” of fresh produce, as advocated by the American Heart Association? While these are undoubtedly important steps toward becoming fit, they don’t entirely define what it means to be healthy or how to know when you get there. According to the Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine, fitness is determined by how well a person moves through their daily activities.
While individuals often focus on the physical aspects, true fitness extends into various dimensions of life. Fitness is a personalized journey, a concept that varies based on individual medical history, health status, and sporting aspirations. Beyond the physical realm, it also extends into emotional and mental dimensions. While these facets are interconnected, your focus should often center on physiological fitness, encapsulated in the key components known as the health-related components of fitness, noted below:
Cardiovascular Endurance: This represents your ability to intake oxygen, circulate it through your blood, and utilize it efficiently in your active muscles. Activities like aerobics, jogging, and cycling are instrumental in enhancing cardiovascular endurance. Regular workouts not only increase the heart's capacity to hold more blood but also strengthen the heart wall, resulting in improved exercise tolerance and reduced resting pulse.
Muscular Strength and Muscular Endurance: Considered two sides of the same coin, muscular strength and endurance complement each other. They are essential for daily activities, from playing as a child to maintaining independence in old age. Endurance involves repeated contractions against less than maximal resistance, improving with regular exercise by enhancing oxygen supply to the muscles. Strength training induces microscopic tears in muscle tissues, and with proper nutrition and rest, leads to muscle growth, impacting cross-sectional muscle size and strength.
Flexibility: Often undervalued, flexibility or suppleness becomes apparent when lost due to injury. Tightness in specific muscles, like the hamstrings, can influence pelvic alignment, affecting the lower spine and potentially leading to health issues such as sciatica. Maintaining flexibility is crucial for overall health and prevents various complications.
Body Composition: More than just weight, body composition reveals the percentage of body weight attributed to fat. Excessive body fat increases the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint problems, and respiratory issues. Recognizing that lean bodyweight, muscles, and bones are denser than fat challenges the perception that weight alone defines fitness. Body composition is a key metric, explaining why individuals with similar weights may have different shapes.
When you’re fit, getting through the day feels relatively easy. You can move from one task to another without much trouble and perform optimally. You might still need rest breaks, but they’re short, and you are soon ready to get going again. You don’t struggle physically or mentally with completing your daily activities. It is also possible to get fit even if you have a pre-existing condition. When you achieve fitness, these conditions are well-managed and under control. They don’t significantly impact your day-to-day life, and you are confident that you aren’t worsening them as you go about your day.
Getting fit can do wonders for your mental health. People who are fit report feeling less stress throughout the day. They tend to be more motivated, less tired, and experience a greater sense of positivity than those who are less fit. Newton’s first law of motion states that a body at rest will remain at rest, while a body in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. While this law refers to the principles of physics, it is also remarkably applicable to human behavior.
The urge to sit on the couch or in your favorite recliner can be strong when you’re not fit. But the process of getting fit requires you to get your body moving. Once you reach peak fitness, you will be used to moving around and getting things done. You’ll naturally want to do more and accomplish more, causing your productivity to skyrocket.
Of course, fitness is highly personal. Everything from your genetics to your age to your overall state of health can affect your individual peak fitness level and the best path to get there. Don’t try to compete with fitness influencers or anyone else. Talk to your doctor about what fitness looks like for you and how you can safely and effectively achieve it. Getting fit takes time and effort, but most people find the rewards are well worth it.
In the pursuit of holistic fitness, consider all of these health-related components beyond the physical realm. Fitness isn't just about appearances; it's a comprehensive journey that encompasses physical, emotional, and mental well-being. So, embrace the journey, unlock your potential, and redefine your understanding of fitness. Are you "fit as a fiddle"?
Here are five quick tips to help you in the fitness game:
Have a body fat analysis performed to know your starting point, and begin implementing small, healthy diet and exercise changes to improve body composition.
Choose an activity you enjoy and start slowly, increasing the intensity and duration over time.
The key to improving flexibility is to make time for it. Add 10 minutes to the end of your workout to stretch or take 10-minute walking/stretching breaks at work.
Look for opportunities to activate your muscles outside the health club. For example, walk to the grocery store if it is not too far and flex those biceps by carrying groceries.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or do some pushups during TV commercial breaks. To be truly, “totally fit” you need to focus on all five components of physical fitness.
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