What is physical fitness?

By: Tim Gribbin, MEd, ATC*

Physical fitness is defined by Merriam-Webster as “good health and strength achieved through exercise.” But what exactly does that mean?

In a practical sense, being physically fit can vary from person to person. For some, it means meeting the physical activity guidelines to stay healthy. For others, it means being a high-functioning Olympic athlete and among the fittest people on the planet. A similar range exists within the military when it comes to job performance. Desk workers still need to stay active and fit enough to pass their Service’s physical fitness test while Special Operations Forces need to be highly fit to operate as independent small teams in austere environments.

Whether your goal is to stay active or achieve elite-level fitness, the base-level recommendation remains the same for all Americans—complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular or cardiorespiratory activity (which are similar with slight differences) and resistance train twice a week to maintain muscle and bone health. The goal is to keep your heart strong and your body composition within a healthy range.

In addition to maintaining physical health, physical fitness is also important for maintaining other domains of Total Force Fitness.

• Staying active helps improve mental health and can help reduce your risk of developing depression and anxiety.
• Activity helps with weight maintenance when paired with a healthy eating pattern.
• Having a fitness battle buddy helps build social support. And if you have kids, it’s especially helpful for them while they’re growing and learning valuable social skills.

When it comes to improving and maintaining physical fitness, start by setting SMART goals based on where you need to be for work and where you want to be personally. If a base level of fitness is where you need to be to perform optimally, great! Get moving and keep moving. If you have a more demanding job, or your fitness goals are to be very fit, make your PT functional and align your workouts with your job tasks. Most Service Members will be somewhere in the middle, requiring regular exercise that focuses on more than simply maintaining health. No matter what your goals are, start with the basics by improving your muscular endurance. This creates the foundation for the higher-intensity resistance training you’ll need to do to improve strength and power.

For more information about optimizing your physical performance, visit Human Performance Resources by CHAMP’s Training & Performance section at HPRC-online.org.

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The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.