What does it mean to be fit?

By Annissa Brodie, Personal Trainer at Fit 'N' Well.

As a personal trainer I often hear clients tell me that they want to be more fit. What does it even mean "to be more fit".

Look at any fitness magazine, blog, Instagram, you name it, and the ideal image of fitness seems to be an extremely toned, very low body fat, youthful image. There are all kinds of tips and tricks to lose the weight, ‘get ripped’, and get the abs for the perfect bathing suit body. It’s all about the physical attributes that we see. It’s supposed to be motivating but sometimes it does the opposite. There is a body positive movement that is slowly changing and challenging those ideals. So really, what is fitness?

This is how Professor R. Pate, in the department of exercise science, at the University of Carolina defines it:

“physical fitness is a state characterized by (a) an ability to perform daily activities with vigor, and (b) demonstration of traits and capacities that are associated with low risk of premature development of the hypokinetic diseases (i.e., those associated with physical inactivity).”

Okay, so what does that mean for you personally? Well, depends on what you need to be or want to be doing with your days. Do you want to continue working a physical job, play with your children, participate in a sport, garden, walk up the stairs without fatigue, dance, or see the world…?

So, according to Professor Pate, the ability to accomplish our tasks with vigor means fitness can translate into something different for each of us. Not saying that you can choose to sit on the couch with vigor, remember there are two parts to the definition. An active lifestyle, healthy waistline, and weight will make a difference in reducing the likelihood of developing a myriad of diseases. This is now common knowledge. If you need more evidence, check out the Canadian Heart and Stroke Association.

Should you base your idea of fitness on the images you see out there? Absolutely not. Focus on your personal requirements. If exercise or physical activity has not been a part of your routine, ask yourself if continued mobility is important to you. Explore the city around you, enjoy the people who surround you. Do it with vigor.

Annissa can be contacted by visiting our Fit 'N' Well website