what is physical training essay

Essay on Physical Fitness

Students are often asked to write an essay on Physical Fitness in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Physical Fitness

What is physical fitness.

Physical fitness is about having a body that can do many activities without getting too tired. It means your heart, muscles, and bones are strong. When you are fit, you can run, jump, and play without feeling out of breath quickly.

Why is Fitness Important?

Being fit is good for your health. It helps you stay away from sickness. Kids who are fit can focus better in school. It also makes you feel happy and gives you more energy to enjoy life.

How to Get Fit

To get fit, you should be active. Run, swim, or play sports. Also, eat healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains. Drink plenty of water and sleep well to help your body grow strong.

Staying Safe While Exercising

When you exercise, it’s important to be safe. Wear the right shoes and clothes. Start slow and learn the right way to move. Always listen to your body and rest if you feel pain or are very tired.

250 Words Essay on Physical Fitness

Physical fitness means being in good health and shape. It’s when your body can do activities like running, jumping, and playing games without getting too tired quickly. Being fit is important for everyone, no matter how old they are. It helps us stay strong and healthy.

Parts of Physical Fitness

There are two main parts of being fit: aerobic fitness and muscle strength. Aerobic fitness is about how well your heart and lungs work when you exercise. When you can run for a long time without stopping, that’s good aerobic fitness. Muscle strength is when your muscles can lift things or do work without getting tired fast.

Why Being Fit Matters

Being fit is great for your body. It helps you not get sick often and can make you feel happier. When you’re fit, you can play with your friends and not feel like you need to stop and rest all the time. It also means you might not get hurt as often.

Getting fit can be fun. You can play sports, dance, swim, or even just go for walks. Eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables helps too. It’s important to exercise a few times a week and not sit around too much.

Staying Fit

Once you’re fit, you have to keep exercising to stay that way. It’s like a game where you have to keep practicing to be good at it. Remember to stay active and eat well, and being fit will become a part of your life.

500 Words Essay on Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is about keeping your body in good shape. It means having the energy and strength to do daily activities without getting too tired. Just like a car needs fuel and a good engine to run smoothly, your body needs healthy food and exercise to work well.

Why is Being Fit Important?

Being fit is key to a happy and healthy life. When you are fit, you can play, run, and do your school work better. Your body fights off sickness easier, and you feel good about yourself. It’s not just about how you look; it’s about taking care of your body so that it can take care of you.

Types of Fitness

Fitness is not just one thing. There are different types, like strength, which lets you lift things; endurance, which is the power to keep going without stopping; flexibility, which helps you move your body in different ways; and balance, which keeps you from falling. Doing a mix of activities that help all these areas is the best way to stay fit.

Getting fit can be fun. You can play sports like soccer or basketball, swim, dance, or even just walk or bike around your neighborhood. It’s important to find activities you enjoy so that you will keep doing them. Try to move your body for at least an hour every day. This doesn’t have to be all at once; it can be spread out through the day.

Eating Right

Rest and sleep.

Rest is just as important as exercise. Your body needs to sleep and take breaks to rebuild and get ready for the next day. Make sure you get enough sleep each night. This helps your body heal and gives you the energy to be active and fit.

Staying Motivated

Sometimes it’s hard to stay on track with fitness. Setting goals can help. Maybe you want to be able to run a mile without stopping or learn a new sport. Write down your goals and how you plan to reach them. Celebrate when you meet them, and set new ones.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction

Prehistoric period

Agricultural period, industrial period, technological period, health-related physical fitness.

• Motor-performance physical fitness
• Specificity
• Progression
• Warm-up/cool down
• Frequency, intensity, and duration
• Overall conditioning
• Individual differences
• Strength and endurance
• Flexibility
• Cardiac effects
• Circulatory effects
• Pulmonary effects
• Improved general fitness
• Epidemiological evidence of exercise benefits
• The effect of exercise on coronary heart disease risk factors
• Other beneficial health impacts
• Sudden death

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• MedlinePlus - Benefits of Exercise
• Healthline - The Top 10 Benefits of Regular Exercise
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Physical Exercise: An Overview of Benefits From Psychological Level to Genetics and Beyond
• Harvard Health Publishing - Exercise and Fitness
• Verywell Health - The Health Benefits of Exercise
• Mayo Clinic - Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
• Biology LibreTexts - Physical Exercise
• MSD Manual - Professional Version - Overview of Exercise
• NHS - Exercise
• exercise - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• exercise - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

exercise , the training of the body to improve its function and enhance its fitness.

The terms exercise and physical activity are often used interchangeably, but this article will distinguish between them. Physical activity is an inclusive term that refers to any expenditure of energy brought about by bodily movement via the skeletal muscles; as such, it includes the complete spectrum of activity from very low resting levels to maximal exertion. Exercise is a component of physical activity. The distinguishing characteristic of exercise is that it is a structured activity specifically planned to develop and maintain physical fitness. Physical conditioning refers to the development of physical fitness through the adaptation of the body and its various systems to an exercise program.

A historical view of exercise

Hominids—human beings and their immediate ancestors—have existed on Earth for at least two million years. For more than 99 percent of that time, hominids lived a nomadic existence and survived by hunting and gathering food. It is obvious that this way of life was enormously different from the way people live today in developed countries. Thus, evolutionary history has prepared humankind for one kind of life, but modern people lead another. This fact has profound implications for patterns of disease and for the association between living habits and health . Observation of the few remaining nomadic groups in the world indicates that they are relatively free of chronic diseases and that, in comparison to the populations in developed countries, they are leaner, have a higher level of physical fitness, eat a very different diet, and have different physical activity patterns. Data from the distant past are not available, but it is reasonable to speculate that early humans had considerably higher caloric expenditures per unit of body weight than do modern individuals.

As civilization developed, nomadic hunting and gathering societies gave way to agricultural ones in which people grew their own food and domesticated animals. This development occurred relatively recently, approximately 10,000 years ago. Although many aspects of life changed during the agricultural period, it is likely that energy demands remained high, with much of the work still done by human power. Even in cities—which had evolved by about midway through the agricultural period—individuals expended more calories than do most people today.

The industrial period began during the mid-18th century, with the development of an efficient steam engine , and lasted to the end of World War II (1945). This relatively brief time span was characterized by a major shift in population from farms to cities, with attendant changes in many areas of lifestyle. Even though the internal-combustion engine and electrical power were increasingly used to perform work, the great majority of individuals in industrialized societies still faced significant energy demands. In the cities relatively more individuals walked to work, climbed stairs, and had more physically demanding jobs than do most people today.

The post-World War II period has been a technological age, a period characterized by rapid growth in energy-saving devices, both in the home and at the workplace. As an example, longshoremen in the late 1940s worked hard loading and unloading ships; by contrast, most longshoremen in the late 20th century had much lower energy demands from the job, because of the containerization of cargo and the mechanization of the loading and unloading process. Also during this period, the use of labour-saving devices in the home and in yard and garden work became much more widespread. Physical activity became less and less common in industrialized countries, especially among the urban population. Although the level of general physical activity has declined, most observers feel that there have been increases in exercise participation in many countries since the late 1960s. Jogging, racket sports , cycling , and other active recreational pursuits have become much more common. In a sense this is simply humankind’s returning to the more active lifestyle of its distant ancestors.

Types of physical fitness

Physical fitness is a general concept and is defined in many ways by different scientists. Physical fitness is discussed here in two major categories: health-related physical fitness and motor-performance physical fitness. Despite some overlap between these classifications, there are major differences, as described below.

Health-related physical fitness is defined as fitness related to some aspect of health. This type of physical fitness is primarily influenced by an individual’s exercise habits; thus, it is a dynamic state and may change. Physical characteristics that constitute health-related physical fitness include strength and endurance of skeletal muscles, joint flexibility, body composition , and cardiorespiratory endurance. All these attributes change in response to appropriate physical conditioning programs, and all are related to health.

Strength and endurance of skeletal muscles of the trunk help maintain correct posture and prevent such problems as low back pain . Minimal levels of muscular strength and endurance are needed for routine tasks of living, such as carrying bags of groceries or picking up a young child. Individuals with very low levels of muscular strength and endurance are limited in the performance of routine tasks and have to lead a restricted life. Such limitations are perhaps only indirectly related to health, but individuals who cannot pick up and hug a grandchild or must struggle to get up from a soft chair surely have a lower quality of life than that enjoyed by their fitter peers.

Flexibility, or range of motion around the joints, also ranks as an important component of health-related fitness. Lack of flexibility in the lower back and posterior thigh is thought to contribute to low back pain. Extreme lack of flexibility also has a deleterious effect on the quality of life by limiting performance.

Body composition refers to the ratio between fat and lean tissue in the body. Excess body fat is clearly related to several health problems, including cardiovascular disease , type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes mellitus , and certain forms of cancer. Body composition is affected by diet, but exercise habits play a crucial role in preventing obesity and maintaining acceptable levels of body fat.

Cardiorespiratory endurance, or aerobic fitness, is probably what most people identify as physical fitness. Aerobic fitness refers to the integrated functional capacity of the heart, lungs, vascular system , and skeletal muscles to expend energy. The basic activity that underlies this type of fitness is aerobic metabolism in the muscle cell, a process in which oxygen is combined with a fuel source (fats or carbohydrates) to release energy and produce carbon dioxide and water. The energy is used by the muscle to contract, thereby exerting force that can be used for movement. For the aerobic reaction to take place, the cardiorespiratory system (i.e., the circulatory and pulmonary systems) must constantly supply oxygen and fuel to the muscle cell and remove carbon dioxide from it. The maximal rate at which aerobic metabolism can occur is thus determined by the functional capacity of the cardiorespiratory system and is measured in the laboratory as maximal oxygen intake. As will be discussed in detail below, aerobic fitness is inversely related to the incidence of coronary heart disease and hypertension.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

1.8 Training Principles

Adherence to specific principles of exercise training may aid in the development of an intentional and successful physical activity regimen. Participating in regular physical activity and exercise throughout on a weekly basis may positively impact an individual’s overall health, and improve various components of physical fitness. However, an individual’s specific physical fitness goals may not be achieved if their physical activity program is not designed with respect to major exercise training principles. Adherence to specific principles of exercise training may aid in the development of an intentional and successful physical activity regimen. The core training principles which will be subsequently discussed include:

• Specificity
• Progression
• Reversibility
• Individual Differences

Specificity Principle : Only the body parts, muscles, or systems involved in a workout will be experiencing training (American College of Sports Medicine, 2013). For example, upper body weight training will only facilitate improvements to muscles groups which were engaged (i.e. shoulders, arms, back muscles). Therefore, an individual must evaluate the specific type of workout that will provide the greatest likelihood of physical activity and fitness goal achievement.

Comprehension check:

Will doing push-ups improve one’s abdominal/core strength? Will swimming laps improve one’s time when biking 10 miles? Please provide your rationale for your answer.

Overload Principle : Overload (i.e., “greater than normal workload or exertion”) is required to improve components of health-related fitness: cardiorespiratory (aerobic) endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility. According to the principle of overload, an individual must work (“load”) the body using a step-by-step increase in physical activity duration, time, and/or intensity in order to facilitate optimal fitness improvements (American College of Sports Medicine, 2013). This step-by-step increase is often known as progression .

Reversibility Principle : Individuals may lose the beneficial effects of training when participation in an exercise program is terminated (i.e., fitness gains are reversed; colloquially known as “use it or lose it”). Conversely, as an individual’s fitness level improves, s/he will be required to adjust the exercise program in order to procure further improvements (i.e., the previous work exerted to reach overload may no longer be sufficient) (American College of Sports Medicine, 2013a).

How might you alter or adjust your workout program to account for the possibility of reversibility?

FITT Principle : The exercise training principle which outlines how an individual may design and monitor their individualized exercise program (American College of Sports Medicine, 2013).

• Frequency : How often the individual performs the targeted exercise or physical activity.
• Intensity : How much work or effort is exerted during a physical activity period (may be measured in a variety of ways such as heart rate, RPE, MET value, etc.).
• Time : Duration of physical activity or exercise bout.
• Type : Specific physical activity mode or exercise which an individual chooses to engage in (i.e. aerobic exercise, resistance training, sports-specific activity, etc.).

Individual Differences Principle : All individuals are unique in their exercise programming needs. Personal, environmental, and behavioral factors should be considered and assessed when planning to engage in a physical fitness training regimen (American College of Sports Medicine, 2013).

What personal, environmental, and behavioral factors should you personally consider when planning your own workout program?

Works Cited

American College of Sports Medicine. (2013). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

A Guide to Physical Activity Copyright © 2019 by Eydie Kramer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Appointments at Mayo Clinic

Fitness training: elements of a well-rounded routine.

Fitness training balances five elements of good health. Make sure your routine includes aerobic fitness, strength training, core exercises, balance training, and flexibility and stretching.

Related information

• Strength training: How-to video collection - Related information Strength training: How-to video collection

You may only be starting to take the first steps on the road to fitness. Or you may be excited about exercise and want to improve your results. Either way, a well-rounded fitness training plan is essential. Add these five elements to your fitness program to have a balanced routine.

Aerobic fitness

Aerobic activity, also known as cardio or endurance activity, is the core of most fitness training programs. Aerobic activity or exercise causes you to breathe faster and more deeply. The breathing boosts how much oxygen is in the blood. The heart will beat faster, which sends more blood flow to the muscles and back to the lungs.

The better the aerobic fitness, the more efficiently the heart, lungs and blood vessels carry oxygen throughout the body. And it will likely be easier to do routine physical tasks.

Aerobic activity includes any physical activity that uses large muscle groups and raises the heart rate, such as:

• Water aerobics.
• Leaf raking.
• Snow shoveling.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week. To help with weight loss or staying at a healthy weight, at least 300 minutes a week is recommended. You can even break up activity into shorter periods of exercise and aim to move more during the day. Any amount is better than none at all.

You also can try high-intensity interval training, also called HIIT. HIIT involves doing short bursts of intense activity of around 30 seconds. Then you have recovery periods of lighter activity for around 1 to 2 minutes. So you can switch between brisk walking and relaxed walking, for example. Or add bursts of jogging in your brisk walks.

Strength training

Strength training is another key part of a fitness training plan. Muscular fitness can help you increase bone strength and muscle fitness. And it can help you stay at a healthy weight or lose weight. It also can improve your skills in doing everyday activities. Aim to do strength training of all the major muscle groups at least twice a week.

Most gyms offer many resistance machines, free weights and other strength training tools. But you don't need to be a gym member or buy costly equipment to get strength training benefits.

Hand-held weights or homemade weights, such as plastic soft drink bottles filled with water or sand, may work just as well. Or use low-cost resistance bands. Your own body weight counts too. Try pushups, pullups, situps and leg squats.

• Core exercises

The muscles in the stomach area, also called abdomen, lower back and pelvis are known as the core muscles. Core muscles help protect the back and connect upper and lower body movements. Core strength is a key part of a well-rounded fitness training program.

Core exercises help train the muscles to support the spine in the back. And they help to use the upper and lower body muscles more effectively. So what counts as a core exercise? A core exercise is any exercise that uses the trunk of the body without support. Some core exercises are bridges, planks, situps and fitness ball exercises.

Balance training

Balance exercises can help you keep your balance at any age. Older adults especially may think about regularly doing exercises to keep or improve balance. This is important because balance tends to worsen with age. Poor balance can lead to falls and broken bones, called fractures. Balance exercises can help older adults prevent falls and keep doing things on their own.

But anyone can be helped by balance training. It can help steady, called stabilize, the core muscles. Try standing on one leg for longer periods of time to improve your stability. Activities such as tai chi can boost balance too.

Flexibility and stretching

Flexibility is an important piece of physical fitness. Aim to have stretching and flexibility activities in a fitness plan. Stretching exercises can help increase flexibility. Being more flexible can make it easier for you to do many everyday activities.

Stretching can also improve the range of motion of the joints. And stretching may help with better posture. Regular stretching can even help lessen stress and tension.

Think about stretching after you exercise when muscles are warm and open to stretching. Try to hold your stretches for at least 30 seconds. If you want to stretch before a workout, warm up first. Walk or exercise for 5 to 10 minutes before stretching.

Try to stretch each time you exercise. If you don't exercise often, you might want to stretch at least 2 to 3 times a week after warming up to keep flexible. Activities such as yoga help you stay flexible too.

Have all the basics

You can make your own fitness training program or ask for help from a personal trainer. But your complete exercise plan should have many parts. Aim to have aerobic fitness, strength training, core exercises, balance training, and flexibility and stretching in your exercise plan. You don't need to fit each of these elements into every fitness workout. But adding them to your regular routine can help you to have fitness for life.

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

Error Email field is required

Error Include a valid email address

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Thank you for subscribing!

You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox.

Sorry something went wrong with your subscription

Please, try again in a couple of minutes

• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition. Accessed Oct. 10, 2022.
• Four types of exercise can improve your health and physical ability. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/four-types-exercise-can-improve-your-health-and-physical-ability. October 11, 2022.
• Warm up, cool down and be flexible. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/staying-healthy/warm-up-cool-down-and-be-flexible. Accessed Oct. 10, 2022.
• AskMayoExpert. Physical activity (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2022.
• Resistance training for health. American College of Sports Medicine. https://www.acsm.org/education-resources/trending-topics-resources/resource-library/detail?id=d0b4cc7b-1d6f-4b1a-ad20-182373d021e7. Accessed Oct. 11, 2022.
• Morey MC. Physical activity and exercise in older adults. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Oct. 10, 2022.
• Ratamess N. ACSM's Foundations of Strength Training and Conditioning. 2nd ed. Kindle edition. Wolters Kluwer; 2022. Accessed Oct. 14, 2022.
• High-intensity interval training. American College of Sports Medicine. https://www.acsm.org/education-resources/trending-topics-resources/resource-library/detail?id=5f13c6a6-854b-4a7c-a3d5-1ca524643594. Accessed Oct. 14, 2022.

Products and Services

• A Book: The Mayo Clinic Diet Bundle
• Available Solutions under FSA/HSA Coverage from Mayo Clinic Store
• A Book: Live Younger Longer
• Available Health Products from Mayo Clinic Store
• A Book: Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure
• Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine
• The Mayo Clinic Diet Online
• A Book: Mayo Clinic Guide to Home Remedies
• A Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book
• Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition
• Balance exercises
• Blood Doping
• Can I exercise if I have atopic dermatitis?
• Exercise benefits
• Exercise and chronic disease
• Exercise and illness
• Stress relief
• Exercising with arthritis
• Fitness ball exercises videos
• Fitness program
• Hate to exercise? Try these tips
• Hockey Flywheel
• How fit are you?
• Marathon and the Heat
• BMI and waist circumference calculator
• Mayo Clinic Minute: How to hit your target heart rate
• Staying active with Crohn's disease
• Strength training: How-to video collection

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

• Opportunities

Mayo Clinic Press

Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press .

• Mayo Clinic on Incontinence - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic on Incontinence
• The Essential Diabetes Book - Mayo Clinic Press The Essential Diabetes Book
• Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance
• FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment - Mayo Clinic Press FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment
• Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book
• Healthy Lifestyle
• Fitness training Elements of a well rounded routine

5X Challenge

Thanks to generous benefactors, your gift today can have 5X the impact to advance AI innovation at Mayo Clinic.

Physical Exercises and Their Health Benefits Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Exercises that include physical activities are very essential to both body and mental health of human beings. In fact this is one of the areas where many studies have been conducted by scholars from different parts of the world to show that exercise is essential to all people regardless of their age, sex and occupation. Healthcare givers also recommend that patients with chronic sicknesses should do some workouts to facilitate their healing. According to the recent studies on the importance of exercise to human beings, it is evident that people have begun to realize the need for doing exercise. In fact people from different parts of the world participate in various exercises and other physical activity in order to keep fit and remain healthy. This paper highlights some of the major importance of workouts to our bodies and why people should do exercises.

One of the major benefits of exercise is that it helps in maintaining a healthy body weight. Cases of people being overweight are common in the modern society due to people shying away from physical activities and desire for junk food. Change of lifestyles has made many people to be overweight and this comes with health complications. Participating in physical activity burns calories and this promotes weight loss. Exercises also help in maintaining weight loss among those working on how to lose some of their body weight.

Exercise makes an individual stronger and boosts the body energy. Some people are very weak to an extent that they are heavily fatigued by simple duties such as doing shopping or doing basic domestic chores. Regular exercise improves bone and muscle strength and give gives the body endurance to tiring activities. When you participate in regular workouts, oxygen and other necessary nutrients are delivered to the lungs, heart and other vital body organs to ensure that they are functioning well. Consequently, a person is able to do simple routine tasks without getting easily exhausted.

Exercise also improves moods and looks. Studies show that people who do not participate in any physical activities and workouts are mostly in bad moods and gloomy. Ordinarily, people get involved in some activities that may lower their moods and exercise helps in improving moods and maintain the charming appearance. Simple workouts stimulate the brain to release some chemicals that make an individual feel happy and relaxed. This also improves the facial looks therefore raising self-esteem and confidence. For those who want to keep fit and maintain certain body looks such as models, sports people and celebrities, exercise helps in achieving the desired physical body appearances.

Exercise is also believed to promote good sleeping habits. Sometimes it becomes difficult to fall asleep or to remain asleep especially after a busy day. Regular exercise can help in promoting better sleep and ensure that it is a continuous one. To the married people, sex life is important and cannot be taken for granted. However, this has become a major challenge to the modern couples because many people retire to their beds feeling too tired to participate in physical intimacy. Exercise makes helps in maintaining a positive sex life and it promotes arousal for both women and men. Studies show that regular physical activity helps men to overcome erectile dysfunction making sex life more enjoyable.

Exercise is also paramount for maintaining better health. Regular workouts improve the immune system and this reduces the chances of getting sick. However, it is worth noting that over exercising can destroy the body immune system. Additionally, regular exercise reduces stress thereby contributing to a healthy living. Regular workouts take the body and mind from the stressing activities and this relieves the body the weight of the stress. The energy used in handling stress is therefore used for other productive processes of the body. Some people suffer from poor digestion and metabolism especially the elderly ones. Exercise helps in ensuring that digestion and absorption of food in the body take place as well. Workouts also increase the rate of metabolisms and the end result is good health. For those doing trainings such as weight lifting and muscle builders, workouts promotes muscle buildup and helps in changing the body shape to the desired body shape. Regular exercise also improves the body stamina and enhances flexibility and stability. Workouts stretch the body and ensure a good posture. This is vital for body stability and it also prevents early body aging. It also reduces the chances of getting easily injured when doing routine duties.

Generally, it is evident that exercise is good for both our mental and body health. It is also worth noting that exercise is enjoyable and can be used to bring people close to their friends. Physical activity is fun and it gives people an opportunity to participate in things that make them happy. Participating in a dance class or soccer club is very enjoyable and makes you to feel relaxed. However it is important for the people with special health conditions to ensure that they have consulted their healthcare for advice on the best workouts to avoid more harm to their body.

• Physical Activity, Its Types, Benefits, Barriers
• Effective Fat-Burning and Muscle Training Methods
• Treatment of a Patient with Lower Back Pain
• Market Outcomes for Resistance Bands
• Going to the Gym: What Health Effects to Expect
• The Benefit of Personal Fitness
• Obesity and Benefits of Exercising
• Wellness Goal: Diets and Exercises for Gaining Lean Body Mass
• Yoga for Depression and Anxiety
• Exercise Intensity: Results and Effects
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, August 21). Physical Exercises and Their Health Benefits. https://ivypanda.com/essays/physical-exercises-and-their-health-benefits/

"Physical Exercises and Their Health Benefits." IvyPanda , 21 Aug. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/physical-exercises-and-their-health-benefits/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Physical Exercises and Their Health Benefits'. 21 August.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Physical Exercises and Their Health Benefits." August 21, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/physical-exercises-and-their-health-benefits/.

1. IvyPanda . "Physical Exercises and Their Health Benefits." August 21, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/physical-exercises-and-their-health-benefits/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Physical Exercises and Their Health Benefits." August 21, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/physical-exercises-and-their-health-benefits/.

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Sports (Basel)

Physical Activity and Sports—Real Health Benefits: A Review with Insight into the Public Health of Sweden

Christer malm.

1 Sports Medicine Unit, Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden; [email protected]

Johan Jakobsson

Andreas isaksson.

2 Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Solna, Sweden; [email protected]

Positive effects from sports are achieved primarily through physical activity, but secondary effects bring health benefits such as psychosocial and personal development and less alcohol consumption. Negative effects, such as the risk of failure, injuries, eating disorders, and burnout, are also apparent. Because physical activity is increasingly conducted in an organized manner, sport’s role in society has become increasingly important over the years, not only for the individual but also for public health. In this paper, we intend to describe sport’s physiological and psychosocial health benefits, stemming both from physical activity and from sport participation per se. This narrative review summarizes research and presents health-related data from Swedish authorities. It is discussed that our daily lives are becoming less physically active, while organized exercise and training increases. Average energy intake is increasing, creating an energy surplus, and thus, we are seeing an increasing number of people who are overweight, which is a strong contributor to health problems. Physical activity and exercise have significant positive effects in preventing or alleviating mental illness, including depressive symptoms and anxiety- or stress-related disease. In conclusion, sports can be evolving, if personal capacities, social situation, and biological and psychological maturation are taken into account. Evidence suggests a dose–response relationship such that being active, even to a modest level, is superior to being inactive or sedentary. Recommendations for healthy sports are summarized.

1. Introduction

Sport is a double-edged sword regarding effects on health. Positive effects are achieved primarily through physical activity, which is the main part of most sports. Many secondary effects of sport also bring health benefits, such as psychosocial development of both young [ 1 ] and old [ 2 ], personal development [ 3 ], later onset, and less consumption of alcohol [ 4 , 5 ]. Finally, those who play sports have a higher level of physical activity later in life [ 6 ], and through sport, knowledge of nutrition, exercise, and health can be developed [ 7 ]. Negative effects include the risk of failure leading to poor mental health [ 8 , 9 ], risk of injury [ 10 , 11 ], eating disorders [ 12 ], burnout [ 13 ], and exercise-induced gastrointestinal tract discomfort [ 14 ]. In sport, there are unfortunately also reports of physical and psychological abuse [ 15 ]. Negative aspects are more common in elite-level sports, where there is a fine balance between maximum performance and negative health. A somewhat unexpected effect of sport participation is that people submitting to planned training in some cases perform less physical activity compared to those who are exercising without a set schedule. One explanation can be a reduced spontaneous physical activity in the latter group [ 16 ]. Because physical activity is increasingly executed in an organized manner [ 17 , 18 , 19 ], sport’s role in society has become increasingly important over the years, not only for the individual but also for public health.

In this paper, we describe the health effects of sport from a physiological and psychological perspective, related both to physical activity and added values of sport per se. Initially, brief definitions of various concepts related to physical activity and health are given. This is then followed by: (1) A brief description of how physical activity and training affect our body from a physiological perspective; (2) a report on the health effects of physical activity and training; and (3) sport’s specific influences on the various dimensions of health. We chose to discuss the subject from an age-related perspective, separating children/adolescents, adults, and the elderly, as well as separating for sex in each age group.

2. Definitions of Physical Activity, Exercise, Training, Sport, and Health

Definitions and terms are based on “Physical activity in the prevention and treatment of disease” (FYSS, www.fyss.se [Swedish] [ 20 ]), World Health Organization (WHO) [ 21 ] and the US Department of Human Services [ 22 ]. The definition of physical activity in FYSS is: “Physical activity is defined purely physiologically, as all body movement that increases energy use beyond resting levels”. Health is defined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) as: “[…] a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” [ 21 ].

Physical activity can occur spontaneously (leisure/work/transport) or organized and be divided according to purpose: Physical exercise is aimed primarily at improving health and physical capacity. Physical training is aimed primarily at increasing the individual’s maximum physical capacity and performance [ 23 ]. Physical inactivity is described as the absence of body movement, when energy consumption approximates resting levels. People who do not meet recommendations for physical activity are considered physically inactive and are sometimes called “sedentary”. Sport can be organized by age, sex, level of ambition, weight or other groupings [ 24 ]. Sport can also be spontaneous [ 7 , 17 ] and defined as a subset of exercises undertaken individually or as a part of a team, where participants have a defined goal [ 7 ]. General recommendations for physical activity are found in Table 1 , not considering everyday activities. One can meet the daily recommendations for physical activity by brief, high-intensity exercise, and remaining physically inactive for the rest of the day, thereby creating a “polarization” of physical activity: Having a high dose of conscious physical training, despite having a low energy expenditure in normal life due to high volumes of sedentary time. Polarization of physical activity may lead to increased risk of poor health despite meeting the recommendations for physical activity [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. During most of our lives, energy expenditure is greater in normal daily life than in sport, physical training, and exercise, with the exceptions of children and the elderly, where planned physical activity is more important [ 28 ].

Recommendations regarding physical activity for different target groups. Note that additional health effects can be achieved if, in addition to these recommendations, the amount of physical activity increases, either by increasing the intensity or duration or a combination of both.

Compiled from FYSS 2017 ( www.fyss.se ) and WHO 2017 ( www.who.int ).

3. Aerobic and Muscle-Strengthening Physical Activity

Physical activity is categorized according to FYSS as: (1) Aerobic physical activity and (2) muscle-strengthening physical activity. Physical activity in everyday life and exercise training is mainly an aerobic activity, where a majority of energy production occurs via oxygen-dependent pathways. Aerobic physical activity is the type of activity typically associated with stamina, fitness, and the biggest health benefits [ 29 , 30 , 31 ]. Muscle-strengthening physical activity is referred to in everyday language as “strength training” or “resistance training” and is a form of physical exercise/training that is primarily intended to maintain or improve various forms of muscle strength and increase or maintain muscle mass [ 32 ]. Sometimes, another category is defined: Muscle-enhancing physical activity, important for maintenance or improvement of coordination and balance, especially in the elderly [ 33 ]. According to these definitions, muscle-strengthening activities primarily involve the body’s anaerobic (without oxygen) energy systems, proportionally more as intensity increases.

Exercise intensity can be expressed in absolute or relative terms. Absolute intensity means the physical work (for example; Watts [W], kg, or metabolic equivalent [MET]), while relative intensity is measured against the person’s maximum capacity or physiology (for example; percentage of maximum heart rate (%HR), rate of perceived exhaustion (RPE), W·kg −1 or relative oxygen uptake in L·min −1 ·kg −1 (VO 2 )). In terms of recommendations to the public, as in Table 1 , the intensity is often described in subjective terms (“makes you breathe harder” for moderate intensity, and “makes you puff and pant” for vigorous intensity) [ 27 ]. While objective criteria such as heart rate and accelerometry will capture the intensity of activity, they may not distinguish between different types of physical activity behaviors [ 34 ]. FYSS defines low intensity as 20%–39% of VO 2 max, <40 %HR, 1.5–2.9 METs; moderate intensity as 40%–59% of VO 2 max, 60–74 %HR, 3.0–5.9 METs, and vigorous intensity as 60%–89% of VO 2 max, 75–94 %HR, 6.0–8.9 METs. Absolute intensity, however, can vary greatly between individuals where a patient with heart disease may have a maximal capacity of <3 MET, and an elite athlete >20 MET [ 35 ].

4. How does the Body Adapt to Physical Activity and Training?

Adaption to physical activity and training is a complex physiological process, but may, in the context of this paper, be simplified by a fundamental basic principle:” The general adaptation syndrome (GAS)” [ 36 , 37 , 38 ]. This principle assumes that physical activity disturbs the body’s physiological balance, which the body then seeks to restore, all in a dose-related response relationship. The overload principle states that if exercise intensity is too low, overload is not reached to induce desired physiological adaptations, whereas an intensity too high will result in fatigue and possibly overtraining. Thus, for adaptation to occur, greater than normal stress must be induced, interspersed with sufficient recovery periods for restoration of physiological balance [ 39 ]. During and immediately after physical exercise/training, functions of affected tissues and systems are impaired, manifested as temporarily decreased performance. You feel tired. In order to gradually improve performance capacity, repeated cycles of adequate overload and recovery are required [ 40 ]. In practice, positive effects can be seen after a relatively short period of a few weeks, but more substantial improvements if the training is maintained for a longer period.

As a rule of thumb, it is assumed that all people can adapt to physical activity and exercise, but the degree of adaptation depends on many factors, including age, heredity, the environment, and diet [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ]. The hereditary factor (genetics) may be the most critical for adaptation [ 45 ]. The degree of adaptation also depends on how the person in question trained previously; a well-trained athlete usually does not have the same relative improvement as an untrained one. Even if training is thought to be specific to mode, intensity, and duration, there are some overlaps. For example, it has been found that strength training in some individuals contributes to a relatively large positive impact on health and endurance, effects previously associated primarily with aerobic exercise [ 46 , 47 ]. The overload principle may, if applied too vigorously in relation to a person’s individual adaptation ability, have detrimental effects, including reduced performance, injury, overtraining, and disease [ 10 ]. Training is a commodity that must be renewed; otherwise, you gradually lose achieved performance improvements [ 48 ], although some capacities, such as muscle memory, seem to persist for life [ 49 ].

General recommendations for health may be stated, but individual predispositions make general training schedules for specific performance effects unpredictable. All exercise training should be adjusted to individual purposes, goals, and circumstances.

5. Health Effects of Physical Activity and Training

Human biology requires a certain amount of physical activity to maintain good health and wellbeing. Biological adaption to life with less physical activity would take many generations. People living today have, more or less, the same requirements for physical activity as 40,000 years ago [ 50 , 51 ]. For an average man with a body weight of 70 kg, this corresponds to about 19 km daily walking in addition to everyday physical activity [ 52 ]. For most people, daily physical activity decreases, while planned, conscious exercise and training increases [ 19 , 53 ]. Unfortunately, average daily energy intake is increasing more than daily energy output, creating an energy surplus. This is one reason for the increasing number of overweight people, and a strong contributor to many health problems [ 54 ]. More sedentary living (not reaching recommended level of physical activity), combined with increased energy intake, impairs both physical and mental capabilities and increases the risk of disease. Despite this, Swedes (as an example) seemed to be as physically active and stressed but had better general health in 2015, compared to 2004 ( Figure 1 ). Compared to 2004–2007, the Swedish population in 2012–2015 reported better overall health (more county-dots are blue) and less fatigue (smaller county-dots) with similar level of physical activity (~65% indicated at least 30 min daily physical activity) and stress (~13% were stressed).

Selected physical and mental health indicators of a Sweden cohort, in relation to the degree of physical activity for the period of years 2004–2007 ( N = 29,254) and years 2012–2015 ( N = 38,553). Surveyed subjects are age 16 to 84 years old, with data representing median scores of four years, not normalized for age. Y-axis: Percentage of subjects reporting “stressed”; X-axis: Percentage of subjects indicating physical active at least 30 minutes each day. Each dot represents one County (Län), dot-size indicates self-reported fatigue, and color self-reported healthiness of the County. If 70% of the population states they are having “Good/Very good” health, the dot is blue. If less than 70% states they are having good/very good health, the dot is red. The circle indicated with a black arrow corresponds to nation median. The black line connected to the nation circle represents the movement in the X–Y plane from the year 2004 to 2007, and from 2012 to 2015, respectively. Data retrieved from the Public Health Agency of Sweden 2019-04-22 ( www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se ).

Results in Figure 1 may in part be explained by a polarization of who is physically active: Some individuals are extremely active, others very inactive, giving a similar central tendency (mean/median). As physical activity and mental stress are not changed, but health is, the figure indicates that other factors must be more important to our overall health and fatigue. Recently, a national study of Swedish 11- to 15-year-olds concluded that this age group is inactive for most of their time awake, that is, sitting, standing or moving very little [ 55 ]. Time as inactive increased with age, from 67 percent for 11-year-olds to 75 percent for 15-year-olds. The study states that in all age groups, the inactive time is evenly distributed over the week, with school time, leisure time, and weekend. Further, those who feel school-related stress have more inactive time, both overall and during school hours, than those who have less school-related stress.

People active in sports have, in general, better health than those who do not participate in sports, because they are physically and mentally prepared for the challenges of sports, abilities that in many cases can be transferred to other parts of life [ 56 ].

However, there is a certain bias in this statement. Sport practitioners are already positively selected, because sickness and injury may prevent participation. As many health benefits of sport are related to the level of physical activity, separation of sport and physical exercise may be problematic. Regardless, societal benefits of these health effects can be seen in lower morbidity, healthier elderly, and lower medical costs [ 7 , 57 , 58 ].

Health effects of physical activity in many cases follow a dose–response relationship; dose of physical activity is in proportion to the effect on health [ 59 , 60 ]. Figure 2 depicts the relationship between risk of death and level of physical activity, in a Finnish twin cohort, adjusted for smoking, occupational group, and alcohol consumption [ 59 ]. Odds ratio (OR) for the risk of all-cause mortality in a larger sample in the same study was 0.80 for occasional exercisers ( p = 0.002, 95% CI = 0.69–0.91). This dose–response relationship between risk of all-cause mortality and physical activity is evident in several extensive studies [ 60 , 61 , 62 ]. The total dose is determined by the intensity (how strenuous), duration (duration), and frequency (how often). While Figure 2 shows sex differences in death rates, it is likely that sedentary behavior is equally hazardous for men and women, but inconsistent results sometime occur due to inadequate assessment measures, or low statistical power [ 59 , 63 ]. To obtain the best possible development due to physical exercise/training, both for prevention and treatment purposes, a basic understanding of how these variables affect the dose of activity is required, as well as understanding how they can be modified to suit individual requirements. A physically active population is important for the health of both the individual and society, with sport participation being one, increasingly important, motivator for exercise.

Relative risk (odds ratio; OR) of premature death in relationship to level of physical activity, in 286 male and 148 female twin pairs, adjusted for smoking, occupational group, and use of alcohol [ 59 ].

There is strong scientific evidence supporting an association between physical exercise/training and good physical and mental health. For example: A reduction in musculoskeletal disorders and reduced disability due to chronic disease [ 27 , 64 ], better mental health with reduced anxiety [ 65 , 66 ], insomnia [ 67 ], depression [ 31 ], stress [ 68 ], and other psychological disorders [ 69 ]. Physical and mental health problems are related to an increased risk of developing a number of our major public health diseases and may contribute to premature death ( Table 2 ).

Health-related physiological effects of aerobic and muscle strengthening physical activity. Green circle indicates that the activity contributes with an effect, whereas a red circle indicates that the activity has no proven effect. Orange circle indicates that the activity may in some cases be effective.

5.1. Effects on Physical Health

The effects of physical activity and exercise are both acute (during and immediately after) and long-lasting. Effects remaining after a long period of regular physical activity have far-reaching consequences for health and are described below. For example, some muscle enzymes’ activity can be quickly increased by physical exercise/training but just as quickly be lost when idle [ 118 ]. Other changes remain for months or years even if training ends—for instance, increased number and size of muscle fibers and blood vessels [ 49 , 119 , 120 ]. Good health, therefore, requires physical activity to be performed with both progression and continuity. Most of the conducted physical exercise/training is a combination of both aerobic and muscle strengthening exercise, and it can be difficult to distinguish between their health effects ( Table 2 ).

To describe ill-health, indicators of life expectancy, disease incidence (number), and prevalence (how often) are used [ 121 ]. In describing the relationship between physical activity and falling ill with certain diseases, the dose–response relationship, the effect size (the risk reduction that is shown in studies), and the recommended type and dose of physical activity are considered [ 122 ]. Table 3 shows the relative effects of regular physical activity ton the risk of various diseases (US Department of Human Services, 2009). The greatest health gains are for people who move from completely sedentary to moderately active lifestyles, with health effects seen before measurable improvements in physical performance. Previously, most scientific studies collected data only on aerobic physical activity. However, resistance exercise also shows promising health (mental and physical) and disease-prevention effects [ 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 , 127 ].

Disease prevention effects of regular physical activity.

Compiled from US Department of Health and Human Service, https://health.gov/paguidelines/report/ [ 62 , 146 ] 1 : Risk reduction refers to the relative risk in physically active samples in comparison to a non-active sample, i.e., a risk reduction of 20% means that the physically active sample has a relative risk of 0.8, compared to the non-active sample, which has 1.0. 2 : In general, general recommendations for PA that are described and referred to herein apply to most conditions. However, in some cases, more specific recommendations exist, more in depth described by the US Department of Health and Human Service, amongst others [ 62 ]. 3 : Evidence is dependent on cancer subtype; refer to US Department of Health and Human Service [ 62 ] for in-depth guidance. PA = Physical.

Aerobic physical activity has been shown to benefit weight maintenance after prior weight loss, reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, normalize blood lipids, and help with cancer/cancer-related side effects ( Table 2 and Table 3 ), while effects on chronic pain are not as clear [ 29 ].

Muscle-strengthening physical activity has, in contrast to aerobic exercise, been shown to reduce muscle atrophy [ 128 ], risk of falling [ 75 ], and osteoporosis [ 74 ] in the elderly. Among the elderly, both men and women adapt positively to strength training [ 129 ]. Strength training also prevents obesity [ 130 ], enhances cognitive performance if done alongside aerobic exercise [ 131 ], counteracts the development of neurodegenerative diseases [ 132 , 133 , 134 ], reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome [ 135 ], counteracts cancer/cancer-related side effects [ 135 , 136 ], reduces pain and disability in joint diseases [ 137 ], and enhances bone density [ 137 , 138 ]. The risk of falling increases markedly with age and is partly a result of reduced muscle mass, and reduced coordination and balance [ 76 , 139 , 140 ]. A strong correlation between physical performance, reduced risk of falls, and enhanced quality of life is therefore, not surprisingly, found in older people [ 141 ]. Deterioration in muscle strength, but not muscle mass, increases the risk of premature death [ 142 ] but can be counteracted by exercise as a dose–response relationship describes the strength improvement in the elderly [ 122 , 143 ]. Recommendations state high-intensity strength training (6–8 repetitions at 80% of 1-repetition maximum) as most effective [ 144 ]. Muscle strengthening physical activity for better health is recommended as a complement to aerobic physical activity [ 29 ]. Amongst the elderly, vibration training can be an alternative to increase strength [ 145 ].

5.2. Effects on Mental Health

Mental illness is a global problem affecting millions of people worldwide [ 147 ]. Headache, stress, insomnia, fatigue, and anxiety are all measures of mental ill health. The term “ ill health ” constitutes a collection of several mental health problems and symptoms with various levels of seriousness. Studies have compared expected health benefits from regular physical activity for improvement of mental health with other treatments, for example, medication. Most recent studies show that physical activity and exercise used as a primary, or secondary, processing method have significant positive effects in preventing or alleviating depressive symptoms [ 31 , 148 , 149 , 150 , 151 ] and have an antidepressant effect in people with neurological diseases [ 152 ]. Training and exercise improve the quality of life and coping with stress and strengthen self-esteem and social skills [ 69 , 153 ]. Training and exercise also lessen anxiety in people who are diagnosed with an anxiety- or stress-related disease [ 68 ], improve vocabulary learning [ 154 ], memory [ 155 , 156 ], and creative thinking [ 157 ].

The same Swedish data as used in Figure 1 show that between the years 2004–2007 and 2012–2015 anxiety, worry, and insomnia decreased but were not obviously correlated to the slightly increased level of physical activity in the population during the same period. Thus, in a multifactorial context, the importance of physical exercise alone cannot be demonstrated in this dataset.

Some of the suggested physiological explanations for improved mental health with physical activity and exercise are greater perfusion and increased brain volume [ 107 , 158 ], increased volume of the hippocampus [ 106 ], and the anti-inflammatory effects of physical activity, reducing brain inflammation in neurological diseases [ 159 ]. Physical exercise may also mediate resilience to stress-induced depression via skeletal muscle peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), enhancing kynurenine conversion to kynurenine acid, which in turn protects the brain and reduces the risk for stress-induced depression [ 153 ]. Further, increased release of growth factors, endorphins, and signaling molecules are other exercise-induced enhancers of mental health [ 69 ].

6. How Sport Affects Health

Sport’s main purposes are to promote physical activity and improve motor skills for health and performance and psychosocial development [ 56 ]. Participants also gain a chance to be part of a community, develop new social circles, and create social norms and attitudes. In healthy individuals, and patients with mental illness, sport participation has been shown to provide individuals with a sense of meaning, identity, and belonging [ 160 , 161 ]. Whether the sport movement exists or not, training and competition including physical activity will happen. Sport’s added values, in addition to the health benefits of physical activity, are therefore of interest. Some argue that it is doubtful, or at least not confirmed, that health development can come from sport, while others believe that healthy sport is something other than health, reviewed in depth by Coakley [ 162 ]. In a sporting context, health is defined as subjective (e.g., one feels good), biological (e.g., not being sick), functional (e.g., to perform), and social (e.g., to collaborate) [ 163 ]. Holt [ 56 ] argued that the environment for positive development in young people is distinctly different from an environment for performance, as the latter is based on being measured and assessed. That said, certain skills (goal setting, leadership, etc.) can be transferred from a sporting environment to other areas of life. The best way to transfer these abilities is, at the moment, unclear.

Having the goal to win at all costs can be detrimental to health. This is especially true for children and adolescents, as early engagement in elite sports increases the risk of injury, promotes one-dimensional functional development, leads to overtraining, creates distorted social norms, risks psychosocial disorders, and has the risk of physical and psychological abuse [ 15 , 164 ]. Of great importance, therefore, is sport’s goal of healthy performance development, starting at an early age. For older people, a strong motivating factor to conduct physical activity is sports club membership [ 165 ]. One can summarize these findings by stating sport’s utility at the transition between different stages of the life; from youth to adulthood and from adulthood to old age. There, sports can be a resource for good physical and mental health [ 166 ].

Today, a higher proportion of the population, compared to 50 years ago, is engaged in organized sports, and to a lesser extent performs spontaneous sports ( Figure 3 ), something that Engström showed in 2004 [ 17 ] and is confirmed by data from The Swedish Sports Confederation ( www.rf.se ). Of the surveyed individuals in 2001, 50%–60% of children and young people said they were active in a sports club. The trend has continued showing similar progression to 2011, with up to 70% of school students playing sports in a club. Furthermore, the study shows that those active in sport clubs also spontaneously do more sports [ 167 ]. Similar data from the years 2007–2018, compiled from open sources at The Swedish Sports Confederation, confirm the trend with an even higher share of youths participating in organized sports, compared to 1968 and 2001 ( Figure 4 ).

Spontaneous sport has decreased over the last decades, to the advantage of organized sport. Data compiled from Engström, 2004, The Swedish Research Council for Sport Science.

Data compiled from open sources report Sport Statistics (Idrotten i siffror) at The Swedish Sports Confederation for the year 2011 ( www.rf.se ).

Taking part in sports can be an important motivator for physical activity for older people [ 165 , 166 ]. With aging, both participation in sports ( Figure 4 ) and physical activity in everyday life [ 168 ] decreases. At the same time, the number of people who are physically active both in leisure and in organized sports increases (The Public Health Agency of Sweden 2017; www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se ). Consequently, among elderly people, a greater proportion of the physical activity occurs within the context of sport [ 8 , 28 ]. Together, research shows that organized sports, in clubs or companies, are more important for people’s overall physical activity than ever before. Groups that are usually less physically active can be motivated through sport—for example, elderly men in sport supporters’ clubs [ 169 ], people in rural areas [ 170 ], migrants [ 171 ], and people with alternative physical and mental functions [ 172 ]. No matter how you get your sporting interest, it is important to establish a physical foundation at an early age to live in good health when you get older ( Figure 5 ). As seen in Figure 5 , a greater sport habitus at age 15 results in higher physical activity at 53 years of age. Early training and exposure to various forms of sports are therefore of great importance. Participation creates an identity, setting the stage for a high degree of physical activity later in life [ 173 ].

Odds ratio (OR) of physical activity at age 53 in relation to Sport habitus at age 15. Sport habitus (“the total physical capital"), including cultural capital, athletic diversity, and grades in physical education and health are, according to Engström [ 173 ], the factors most important for being physically active in later life. For a further discussion on sport habitus, the readers are referred to Engström, 2008 [ 173 ]. Numbers above bar show the 95% confidence interval. ** = significant difference from “Very low”, p < 0.01. *** = p < 0.001.

7. Sport’s Effects on the Health of Children and Young People

The effects of participation in organized sports for children and young people are directly linked to physical activity, with long term secondary effects; an active lifestyle at a young age fosters a more active lifestyle as an adult. As many diseases that are positively affected by physical activity/exercise appear later in life, continued participation in sport as an adult will reduce morbidity and mortality.

It must be emphasized that good physical and mental health of children and young people participating in sport requires knowledge and organization based on everyone’s participation. Early specialization counteracts, in all regards, both health and performance development [ 174 , 175 ].

7.1. Positive Aspects

According to several reviews, there is a correlation between high daily physical activity in children and a low risk for obesity, improved development of motor and cognitive skills, as well as a stronger skeleton [ 176 , 177 ]. Positive effects on lipidemia, blood pressure, oxygen consumption, body composition, metabolic syndrome, bone density and depression, increased muscle strength, and reduced damage to the skeleton and muscles are also described [ 178 , 179 ]. If many aspects are merged in a multidimensional analysis [ 8 , 173 ], the factors important for future good health are shown to be training in sports, broad exposure to different sports, high school grades, cultural capital, and that one takes part in sport throughout childhood ( Table 4 ).

Compiled health profiles for men and women at the age of 20 years, depending on participation in organized sports at the age of 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, and 17 years.

Classification with repeated latent class analysis creates three groups for girls and boys, respectively: Children who never participated (girls only), participated, quit prematurely, or began late (only boys) in sports. Arrows indicate whether participation in sports at young age has an effect on health at 20 years of age. Green up arrow is positive, red down arrow negative, and a horizontal black double arrow shows that sport had no significant effect. Modified from Howie et. al., 2016 [ 8 ].

Psychological benefits of sports participation of young people were compiled by Eime et al. [ 1 ], where the conclusion was that sporting children have better self-esteem, less depression, and better overall psychosocial health. One problem with most of these studies, though, is that they are cross-sectional studies, which means that no cause–effect relationship can be determined. As there is a bias for participating children towards coming from socially secure environments, the results may be somewhat skewed.

7.2. Negative Aspects

As Table 4 and Table 5 show, there are both positive and negative aspects of sports. Within children’s and youth sports, early specialization to a specific sport is a common phenomenon [ 175 ]. There is no scientific evidence that early specialization would have positive impact, neither for health nor for performance later in life [ 175 ]. No model or method including performance at a young age can predict elite performance as an adult. By contrast, specialization and competitiveness can lead to injury, overtraining, increased psychological stress, and reduced training motivation, just to mention a few amongst many negative aspects [ 174 , 175 ]. Another important aspect is that those who are excluded from sports feel mentally worse [ 8 ]. As there is a relationship between depressive episodes in adolescence, and depression as adults [ 116 ], early exclusion has far-reaching consequences. Therefore, sports for children and young people have future health benefits by reducing the risk of developing depression and depressive symptoms, as well as improved wellbeing throughout life.

Positive and negative aspects with sport (at young age).

While some degree of sport specialization is necessary to develop elite-level athletes, research shows clear adverse health effects of early specialization and talent selection [ 180 ]. More children born during the fall and winter (September–December) are excluded [ 181 ], and as a group, they are less physically active than spring (January–April) children, both in sports and leisure ( Figure 6 ). In most sports and in most countries, there is a skewed distribution of participants when sorted by birth-date, and there are more spring children than fall children among those who are involved in sport [ 182 , 183 , 184 , 185 , 186 ]. Because a large part of the physical activity takes place in an organized form, this leads to lower levels of physical activity for late-born persons (Malm, Jakobsson, and Julin, unpublished data). Early orientation and training in physical activity and exercise will determine how active you are later in life. Greater attention must be given to stimulating as many children and young people as possible to participate in sport as long as possible, both in school and on their leisure time. According to statistics from the Swedish Sports Confederation in 2016, this relative-age effect persists throughout life, despite more starting than ending with sport each year [ 18 ].

The figure shows the distribution of 7597 children aged 10 years and younger who in 2014 were registered as active in one particular, individual sport in Sweden (data compiled from the Swedish Sport Confederation, www.rf.se ). Spring, Summer, and Fall represent January–April, May–August, and September–December, respectively.

When summarize, the positive and negative aspects of sport at a young age can be divided into three categories: (1) Personal identification, (2) social competence, and (3) physiological capacity, briefly summarized in Table 5 . A comprehensive analysis of what is now popularly known as “physical literacy” has recently been published [ 187 ].

7.3. Relevance of Sports

Sports can make children and young people develop both physically and mentally and contribute with health benefits if planned and executed exercise/training considers the person’s own capacities, social situation, and biological as well as psychological maturation. In children and adolescents, it is especially important to prevent sports-related injuries and health problems, as a number of these problems are likely to remain long into adulthood, sometimes for life. Comprehensive training is recommended, which does not necessarily mean that you have to participate in various sports. What is required is diverse training within every sport and club. Research shows that participation in various sports simultaneously during childhood and adolescence is most favorable for healthy and lifelong participation [ 8 , 173 , 188 , 189 ].

8. Sport’s Effects on the Health of Adults and the Elderly

Adults who stop participating in sports reduce their physical activity and have health risks equal to people who have neither done sports nor been physical [ 190 , 191 ]. Lack of adherence to exercise programs is a significant hindrance in achieving health goals and general physical activity recommendations in adults and the elderly [ 192 ]. While several socioeconomic factors are related to exercise adherence, it is imperative that trainers and health care providers are informed about factors that can be modulated, such as intervention intensity (not to high), duration (not too long), and supervision, important for higher adherence, addressed more in depth by Rivera-Torres, Fahey and Rivera [ 192 ].

Healthy aging is dependent on many factors, such as the absence of disease, good physical and mental health, and social commitment (especially through team sports or group activities) [ 193 ]. Increased morbidity with age may be partly linked to decreased physical activity. Thus, remaining or becoming active later in life is strongly associated with healthy aging [ 194 ]. With increased age, there is less involvement in training and competition ( Figure 4 ), and only 20% of adults in Sweden are active, at least to some extent, in sports clubs, and the largest proportion of adults who exercise do it on their own. The following sections describes effects beyond what is already provided for children and youths.

8.1. Positive Aspects

Participation in sports, with or without competition, promotes healthy behavior and a better quality of life [ 166 ]. Exclusion from sports at a young age appears to have long-term consequences, as the previously described relative age effect ( Figure 6 ) remains even for master athletes (Malm, Jakobsson, and Julin, unpublished data). Because master athletes show better health than their peers [ 95 ], actions should be taken to include adults and elderly individuals who earlier in life were excluded from, or never started with sport [ 195 ]. As we age, physical activity at a health-enhancing intensity is not enough to maintain all functions. Higher intensity is required, best comprising competition-oriented training [ 196 , 197 ]. One should not assume that high-intensity exercise cannot be initiated by the elderly [ 198 ]. Competitive sports, or training like a competitive athlete as an adult, can be one important factor to counter the loss of physical ability with aging [ 199 ]. In this context, golf can be one example of a safe form of exercise with high adherence for older adults and the elderly, resulting in increased aerobic performance, metabolic function, and trunk strength [ 200 , 201 ].

8.2. Negative Aspects

Increased morbidity (e.g., cardiovascular disease) with aging is seen also among older athletes [ 202 ] and is associated with the same risk factors as in the general population [ 203 ]. An increased risk of cardiovascular disease among adults (master) compared to other populations has been found [ 204 ]. Unfortunately, the designs and interpretations of these studies have been criticized, and the incidence of cardiac arrest in older athletes is unclear [ 205 ]. In this context, the difference between competitive sports aiming to optimize performance and recreational sports has to be taken into account, where the former is more likely to induce negative effects due to high training loads and/or impacts during training and games. Although high-intensity training even for older athletes is positive for aerobic performance, it does not prevent the loss of motor units [ 206 ].

Quality of life is higher in sporting adults compared to those who do not play sports, but so is the risk of injury. When hit by injury, adults and young alike may suffer from psychological disorders such as depression [ 207 ], but with a longer recovery time in older individuals [ 208 ]. As with young athletes, secession of training at age 50 years and above reduces blood flow in the brain, including the hippocampus, possibly related to long-term decline in mental capacity [ 209 ].

8.3. Relevance of Sport

As for children and young people, many positive health aspects come through sport also for adults and the elderly [ 210 ]. Sport builds bridges between generations, a potential but not elucidated drive for adults’ motivation for physical activity. The percentage of adults participating in competitive sports has increased in Sweden since 2010, from about 20 percent to 30 percent of all of those who are physically active [ 18 ], a trend that most likely provides better health for the group in the 30–40 age group and generations to come.

9. Recommendations for Healthy Sport

• 1. Plan exercise, rest, and social life. For health-promoting and healthy-aging physical activity, refer to general guidelines summarized in this paper: Aerobic exercise three times a week, muscle-strengthening exercise 2–3 times a week.
• 2. Set long-term goals.
• 3. Adopt a holistic performance development including physiological, medical, mental, and psychosocial aspects.
• ○ a. Exercise load (time, intensity, volume);
• ○ b. Recovery (sleep, resting heart rate, appetite, estimated fatigue, etc.);
• ○ c. Sickness (when–where–how, type of infections, how long one is ill, etc.);
• ○ d. Repeat type- and age-specific physical tests with relevant evaluation and feedback;
• ○ e. Frequency of injuries and causes.
• ○ a. Motivation for training, competition, and socializing;
• ○ b. Personal perception of stress, anxiety, depression, alienation, and self-belief;
• ○ c. Repeat type- and age-specific psychological tests with relevant evaluation and feedback.
• 6. Register and interpret signs of overtraining, such as reduced performance over time, while maintaining or increasing exercise load.

Author Contributions

C.M. and A.J. conceived and designed the review. C.M., A.J., J.J. and interpreted the data and drafted the manuscript. J.J. edited the manuscript, tables, and figures. All authors approved the final version.

This work was supported by the Swedish Sports Confederation.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Fitness — Significance of Physical Fitness

Significance of Physical Fitness

• Categories: Fitness

About this sample

Words: 372 |

Published: Mar 25, 2024

Words: 372 | Page: 1 | 2 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

1 pages / 627 words

5 pages / 2296 words

3 pages / 1492 words

3 pages / 1353 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Fitness

In the evolving landscape of fitness, few movements have generated as much buzz and controversy as CrossFit. Since its inception in the early 2000s, CrossFit has garnered a passionate following, with proponents lauding its [...]

Obesity has become a significant public health concern globally, with a high prevalence rate in both developed and developing countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity has more than doubled since 1980, [...]

Running is a popular form of exercise that offers numerous health benefits. Whether you are a seasoned marathon runner or just starting out with a few laps around the block, running can have a positive impact on your physical [...]

Physical fitness and wellness are integral components of a healthy lifestyle, and gyms play a pivotal role in promoting these aspects. Gyms, also known as fitness centers, provide a structured environment where individuals can [...]

Fitness is a general term used to describe the ability to perform physical work. It includes the following components: Health-related components like Cardiorespiratory endurance, Muscular endurance, Muscular Strength, [...]

All this year, people come, and people go. Counting every new year start, people start to do planning for their new year resolution and is a must do to plan their year throughout. All year-round still wishing for the same old [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Ready to start planning your care?  Call us at 800-525-2225 to make an appointment.

Photo Essay: Training Cancer’s Future Leaders

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

The students and postdoctoral researchers who work and train in MSK’s laboratories drive discovery forward every day. Today they are vital partners. Tomorrow they will lead further progress at hospitals, research centers, and biomedical companies around the world.

Graduate student Monica Acosta enters the Zuckerman Research Center to start her day in the lab.

Mihir Pendse, PhD, left, in the lab with immunologist Gretchen Diehl, PhD. The Diehl Lab studies how gut microbes train the immune system.

Graduate student Justin Hachey, left, prepares to work with frozen samples, alongside research fellow Michele De Franco, PhD. The work is part of the Jason Lewis Lab’s efforts to develop new approaches for the targeted diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Developmental biologist Eric Lai, PhD, discusses a research project with graduate student Mir-Mammad Javad-Zada. The Lai Lab studies how cells orchestrate behaviors so they happen at the right times and in the right places.

Lounge spaces allow trainees to foster collaboration and camaraderie outside the lab, too. From left: graduate student Dasom Kim; research scholar, Mihir Pendse, PhD; research scholar, Sofia Tortora Morel, PhD; and research technician, Lisette Peres-Tintin.

Research scholar Yanan Ma, PhD, prepares to review a sample under the microscope. The work is part of the Philipp Niethammer Lab’s study of wound healing, inflammation, and regeneration

Change lives with us.

Screen Rant

Paul mescal reveals how he transformed his physique for gladiator 2.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Denzel Washington Responds To Gladiator 2 Accent Criticism

Ridley scott addresses not calling russell crowe for gladiator 2: “why would i”, why denzel washington's gladiator 2 accent is controversial.

Gladiator II star Paul Mescal breaks down his training routine in preparation for the role of Lucius Verus. The younger version of the character was played by Spencer Treat Clark in the original Gladiator , with Mescal being recast as an older Lucius for Gladiator II 's story . With the help of the cunning power broker and former slave, Macrinus (Denzel Washington), Lucius will use the gladiator arena to seek revenge against General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal).

While speaking with Empire magazine, Mescal explained his routine, which included training six days a week in 45-minute bursts , overseen by " the best trainer, who knows I don't have a huge amount of patience, and he could see it in my eyes that after a certain point I was like, 'Get me out of here!'" Mescal also clarified that he wanted there to be a limit and did not want to "go down the whole 300 avenue," referring to the Spartan warriors in the Zack Snyder film. Check out the rest of Mescal's explanation below:

I had always had a kind of latent ambition to do something that was more muscular and physical. From a selfish side of things, I wanted to surprise an audience, because I knew that I have this kind of role within me. When this came up, I was like, "This is something that I don't think anybody who's seen the work that I've done previously will be expecting," and it's Ridley Scott. When I was first cast I had this idea of like, "You know what? I'm just gonna make gladiators look normal." But the closer I got [to filming] I thought that would be me getting in the way of the story. How do they survive this level of violence that we have no real comprehension of today in a sporting context? The only way you can do that is if you're robust and able to take the impact of near-death experiences on a day-to-day basis. So then it just meant lifting heavy things for a long time and eating lots of chicken. This ideal image that has been informed by superhero films - that was something I was keen to avoid. Because superheroes don't exist, but gladiators did. We don't really know what they looked like, but they were prime athletes raised in stables, and they trained every day. So I was like, "Let's just go back to what I'm used to - which is Gaelic football training."

Paul Mescal Can Help Gladiator II Live Up To The Hype

He is already an academy award and emmy award-nominated actor.

24 years after the first film, Ridley Scott raised the already high expectations for the sequel by calling it one of the best films made in his career . Whether the film can live up to or surpass the heights of its predecessor will largely depend on Mescal, who has already made Lucius distinct via his physique. As impressive as Mescal looks, along with the rest of Gladiator II 's cast , costumes, and cinematography, the question now is whether Mescal can deliver a performance as compelling as Russell Crowe's portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius.

Through his performance, Mescal has the potential to make Gladiator II just as entertaining as the original Gladiator.

Mescal has demonstrated his acting prowess before, receiving an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the 2022 film Aftersun and an Emmy Award nomination for his role in the 2020 miniseries Normal People . Much of Gladiator II 's appeal revolves around the action and the increased sense of spectacle. Nevertheless, the sequel also needs to be grounded by the humanity Mescal brings to Lucius , just as Crowe grounded Gladiator with Maximus' humanity.

In a cast that includes the Academy Award-winning Washington and the Emmy Award-nominated Pascal, Mescal will need to make sure his own performance stands out as the story's protagonist . This will make it easier to be invested in the high-stakes action scenes, including when Lucius fights General Acacius in the Colosseum. Through his performance, Mescal has the potential to make Gladiator II just as entertaining as its beloved predecessor.

Source: Empire

Gladiator II

Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott's award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.

Gladiator 2: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know