What Does Fitness Really Mean and Why Is It Important

Term fitness is used in random context.  Because of its vague terminology, most fitness enthusiasts cannot connect their fitness performance in the gym to performance outside of the gym.  If the fitness you are pursuing is for gym performance only, then there is no issue.  However, if your goal is to improve performance outside of the gym, such as hiking, improving sports performance, improving daily non-exercise activities (walking, picking up objects, walking up/down the stairs, etc.), then you will need to direct your fitness outcome towards it.

Variables Included In Fitness

Improving fitness has so many variables.  It includes, maximum strength, strength endurance, VO2 max, metabolic flexibility, and mobility and flexibility. 

Maximum strength refers to how much load you can lift.  In the gym, this can be in the form of squat, deadlift, press, pull and carry.  Strength endurance is how frequently you can lift the load.  In the gym setting, this is usually done in submaximal load (60-80% of max strength) for certain number of repetitions and sets.  If you work for moving company or at the construction sites, you may want to lift as heavy as you can but as frequently as you can.

VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption, is the maximum rate at which your body can consume oxygen during intense exercise. It is a measure of your cardiorespiratory fitness and reflects how well your heart, lungs, and muscles can work together to use oxygen efficiently.  Metabolic flexibility refers to the ability for the body to convert fat or glucose into energy depending on the intensity of physical activities. The ideal primary energy source is fat. The reason is because we store a lot of them.  Even with someone weighing 130lb with 5% body fat, this person carries about 6000 calories worth of energy. However, to exert high amount of force, such as lifting heavy or moving fast, it is ideal to use glucose as an energy source.   So, during physical activity, well trained athletes can switch energy sources between fat and glucose as needed.

Mobility and flexibility refer to how well your body can move.  In the last decade or so, the fitness industry has been focusing on mobility and flexibility, mostly due to the increase in injuries.  If the muscles and joints can move more freely not only will the chance of injury decrease but the overall performance will improve. 

Having Direction To Your Training

Outside of the gym, all the fitness variables are important.  However, what you want to focus on the most really depends on what you are working towards. 

For example, I play soccer as a goalkeeper.  The size of the soccer goal is 24ft by 8ft.  My body composition is about 5ft6in and 160lb.  Yes, for a goalkeeper I am handicapped.  The primary focus for me at the gym is to be able to compensate for my handicap, which leads to maximum strength to withstand larger players, and this also helps me to move faster.  Often times I will need to move quickly repeatedly.  Therefore, my training is usually pairing heavy lifting immediately followed by several plyometric sequences. Some of the ways to block the shots require mobility and flexibility or I can easily pull or tear.  It’s not just about stretching but also even when lifting, I need to make sure I can move in full range as much as I can. 

Although goalkeeper doesn’t move as much as other players, I need to be able to focus for at least 90 minutes.  The ability to convert my energy source depending on the intensity is very vital.  Along with higher intensity training, I will also need to train at low intensity to have my body trained to move using fat as an energy source.

Let’s take different examples, traveling.  Traveling may sound simple, but it is physically demanding.  If you are traveling in different time zones, the body needs to be able to adapt quickly.  Some countries may not have handicap access, which means you will need to be able to climb up and down the stairs.  Environment, including climate and altitude, also may add challenges to your body.  The gym cannot simulate all of them but can help the body to handle those challenges.  At the gym, you may not need to lift as heavy but need to be able to lift load frequently, which means strength endurance.  With environmental adaptation, you can work on improving metabolic flexibility. Mobility and flexibility will become critical to be able to move around freely.

Identify What You Want Out of Fitness

Most important thing about attaining appropriate fitness level to your need is to know what you want.  If you do not see the results, then the training you are performing at the gym is not for you.  The training does not look like a circus act.  In fact, real training is the least entertaining and repetitive work.  What you enjoy is the byproduct of your training.

I haven’t mentioned about weight loss or body composition, however, in actual fitness body composition is a byproduct of improving your fitness level.  Outside of training, eating clean and hydration is prerequisite.  Can you imagine athletes having a cheat day all the time? You may not looking into becoming one but you should treat your body the same.

Summary

As mentioned earlier, term fitness has broader meaning and fitness industry is utilizing it as marketing tool yet not really knowing what it involves. When you are starting your training, you should know or thinking of what you want to accomplish with your improved fitness or what criteria of fitness are you wanting to improve. Depending on your goal and current condition, what you should focus on will be different.

Kota Shimada