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Fitness Defined - Non-Traditional Elements

By Brad Scott

I am going to cover 5 non-traditional elements of fitness. The first three elements described in previous articles (Aerobic, Anaerobic and Nutrition) are major pillars in your fitness progression. And according to many schools of thought, they are the only things that matter as relating to fitness.

In my opinion, fitness is a much broader category, especially when considering true total fitness. When you are totally fit, life is extremely enjoyable. And by totally fit, I do not mean you are ready for the next cover page of your favorite fitness magazine, but rather you have a complete satisfaction of mind, body and spirit. You are pleased with all aspects of your life and continue to enjoy this great big wonderful world we live in.

The next element of fitness I would like to discuss is Flexibility. Building strong muscles is useless, unless you can direct the power stored within them exactly where you want to. Your flexibility will help you do just that. In addition, having good flexibility allows you to easily and comfortably perform the actions you need to perform.

Flexibility is basically a Range of Motion or ROM of specific body parts. The amount of flexibility or ROM you need depends on the activities you plan to participate in. Remember, it's all back to you and what you want. For example, if you kickbox, you will need to have a large ROM to perform certain strikes and kicks. However, if the extent of you activity level is long walks through the park, your flexibility need not be so extensive.

However, simple activities such as getting out of bed in the morning, sitting in a car and taking a shower still require a good foundation of flexibility. It is important to stretch at least once a day and always warm up your muscles before stretching. Warming up can be accomplished by walking, performing a brief and very light exercise routine or taking a warm shower.

Sleep is another element of fitness that is often overlooked. We live in a rush and hurry world that often times turns into late nights and early mornings. We put sleep on the back burner because we have things to do and they must be done now. If you are exercising regularly and not seeing the results you want, it may be due to lack of sleep. You muscles do not become stronger when you exercise, they actually break down when you exercise.

The muscles then rebuild while you are resting, and there is no better rest than a good nights sleep. How much sleep you need, depends on what you are comfortable with. Every since I was little I can remember sleeping about 4-6 hours per day. At 4 hours of sleep I can function, but at 6 hours of sleep I feel great.

If I sleep 8 or more hours then I feel sluggish the rest of the day. By now you are at an age that you know how many hours of sleep you require to feel great. Plan and organize you days, weeks and life to get the proper amount of sleep.

One of the most important mental aspects of fitness is Companionship. I hope I didn't get to deep for you there, but companionship provides a fantastic emotional release. Now when I speak of companionship, I do not necessarily mean in a romantic sense. Romance is nice, but companionship describes having a bond with another living entity.

Living Entity? Is that another curveball? Absolutely. Companionship does not have to even be another human being. It can be the companionship of a good pet or a warm garden. You, as a living entity yourself, have a much more peaceful mind when you have companionship. Having another person as a companion is obviously the best choice because it allows for the best 2-way communication.

Some of my best companionships have come from family, friends and pets. I do not consider myself as having a lot of friends. I know a lot of people whom I would consider good buddies, but when I'm with 'friends' the fun meters are off the charts.

An often overlooked element of fitness is your Bad Habits. Now please don't try to fool yourself by saying you do not have any bad habits. We all have some bad habits. The key is to control our bad habits and not to let them control us. Two of my bad habits are biting my nails and drinking too much Cocoa Cola. I have always bitten my nails and cannot even remember when I started.

Every memory I have of growing up involves my parents telling me to take my fingers out of my mouth. But now, I can control this habit much better. I try to constantly hold something in my hands to keep from putting them in my mouth. For years I chewed on toothpicks to curb the need to bite. As for my Coke, well I'm weak.

I try not to buy it very much and when I do buy it, I buy small quantities. I know it's not the best thing for me to be drinking, but I also realize that I am going to drink it. So I ensure I am controlling the monster and not letting the monster control me. And that's the major point of this section, recognize and manage your bad habits.

Everything mentioned to this point combines into one main driver of fitness, and that is your Activity Level. Your level of fitness should be equal to or greater than your desired activity level. Again, it all depends on you. What are your wants and desires. Last week we talked about what it is you want to do. The next question is how well do you want to do it. How well you do it is a matter of Performance.

Your fitness level determines how you perform at your desired activity level. Therefore, your individual desire determines your level of success. It's all up to you. Whether you want to have fun playing a game of tennis or golf with your friends on the weekend or want to win a championship trophy, its all up to you. And that is why no one can define your fitness for you except for you. I have defined total fitness for you, now you must decide how fit you want to be.

Are you flexible? Do you have a companion? Do you get enough sleep? What are some of your bad habits? Then let the group know more about your desired fitness level. Now that you understand total fitness, what are your true goals?

About the Author:

Brad Scott is Owner and President of Sport and Life Fitness in Melbourne Florida. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is a Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Sports Conditioning with the International Sports Sciences Association. With over 20 years of experience, Brad offers a wide variety of fitness solutions for most anyone. Visit him online at www.SportAndLifeFitness.com today and start your fitness journey.