INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Fitness means different things to different people. For some, it means running a marathon or having a buff, muscular bodybuilder’s physique to show off at the beach. For others, it’s just the ability to carry a baby or a bag of groceries up a flight of stairs without panting. For the purposes of this book, fitness means having a healthy, functional body-one that enables you to lead a comfortably active life. The book also will touch on activities such as Tae Bo, tai chi, yoga, and advanced training tips that might not interest you now, but they might gain new appeal as you get into shape. Fitness is not only an end untoitself. It also is a major component of wellness, which includes physical and mental health and emotional well-being. A physically active child can be on the right road to a lifetime of fitness. A fit teenager will have a wholesome body image, an ability to compete in sports, and enhanced self-esteem. An adult with a workout program can better combat work-related stress, and fit women usually have more comfortable pregnancies, easier childbirth, and quicker recovery than out-of-shape women.
Fit people are more likely to stay well, active, and productive through their middle years when heart disease, cancer, cardiovascular problems, and other health issues begin to crop up. People who retain, or even build, their fitness late in life can remain active and vital for many years. As we age as a population, such quality-of-life issues are not trivial; they are becoming more important to us as individuals and as a nation and society that is living longer and becoming more conscious of quality of life. Fitness should not be a fling but a lifetime commitment. When you get into a regular program, exercise can become addictive, and it’s the best addiction you can have.