Health Aspects

Physical health

Physical fitness refers to body health, and is the result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition, and proper rest for physical recovery.
This is also influenced by the standard of living and quality of life. Genetics also plays a major role in people's height. The study of human growth, its regulators, and implications is known as Auxology.
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness (a state of health and well-being) and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations).
In previous years, fitness was commonly defined as the capacity to carry out the day’s activities without undue fatigue. However, as automation increased leisure time, changes in lifestyles following the industrial revolution rendered this definition insufficient. These days, physical fitness is considered a measure of the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations.

A general-purpose physical fitness program must address the following essentials^[2]:

• Cardiovascular Fitness
• Flexibility Training
• Strength Training
• Muscular Endurance
• Body Composition
• General Skill Training

However along with these essential components, a comprehensive fitness program that is tailored to an individual will probably focus on one or more specific skills^[3], and on age-^[4] or health-related needs such as bone health^[5]. Many sources^{[citation needed]} also cite mental and emotional health as an important part of overall fitness. This is often presented in textbooks as a triangle made up of three points, which represent physical, emotional, and mental fitness. Physical fitness can also prevent or treat many chronic health conditions brought on by unhealthy lifestyle or aging^[6]. Working out can also help people sleep better. To stay healthy it's important to participate in physical activity^[7].

Specific fitness

Specific or task-oriented fitness is a person's ability to perform in a specific activity with a reasonable efficiency: for example, sports or military service. Specific training prepares athletes to perform well in their sports.
Examples are:

• 400m sprint - in a sprint the athlete must be trained to work anaerobically throughout the race.
• Marathon - in this case the athlete must be trained to work aerobically and their endurance must be built-up to a maximum.
• Many fire fighters and police officers undergo regular Fitness testing to determine if they are capable of the physically demanding tasks required of the job^[8].
• Members of the United States Army and Army National Guard must be able to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT)^[9].

References

1. ^ "Presiden't Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Definitions for Health, Fitness, and Physical Activity". http://www.fitness.gov/digest_mar2000.htm. 
2. ^ "Six Fundamentals of Physical Fitness". http://skinnybulkup.com/six-fundamentals-of-fitness-training/. 
3. ^ "Skill-related physical fitness essential for sports success". http://www.tradoc.army.mil/pao/Web_specials/H_and_PWB/013204.htm. 
4. ^ "The elderly have specific fitness requirements". http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020201/419.html. 
5. ^ "A targeted fitness program can increase Bone Integrity". http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Exercise/default.asp. 
6. ^ "US Department of Health and Human Services Presentation: Physical Activity Fundamental to Preventing Disease". http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/physicalactivity/. 
7. ^ "How much physical activity do adults need?". http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html. 
8. ^ "Physical Fitness requirements for Santa Clara County firefighters". http://www.sccfd.org/physical_fitness.html#appendix2. 
9. ^ "APFT Requirements". http://www.army.com/enlist/APFT.html.