Added: 11/27/2006 |
Lifting of Weights, Dumbells not a Full Measure of FitnessA gentleman in York, PA once made a living by selling weights, dumbbells and similar exercise equipment. He had a large figure placed along the highway, beside his place of business. That figure wore the garb of a weight lifter, and that figure was holding aloft a set of dumbbells. The author of the following article rode past that large figure on a number of occasions.
In order to understand total body fitness, one must focus on more than weights, dumbells and other weight-bearing exercises. One must be ready to take the first step towards total fitness. That first step towards total fitness involves learning the true meaning of physical fitness.
Physical fitness can provide an individual with enough energy to respond to routine physical demands while still retaining the energy needed in order to deal with a sudden challenge. The person who is physically fit can do more than handle his or her everyday energy needs. The person who is physically fit can do more than lift an impressive number of weights, dumbells or other heavy objects.
The person who is physically fit has a body that guarantees the demonstration of endurance. Such a person has the ability to persist with his or her lifting, pushing or pressing for an extended period of time. Such a person has the ability to endure the demands of a sudden emergency.
That last statement underlines the varied aspects of physical fitness. Cardiovascular fitness makes an important contribution to any effort to attain total body fitness. Such cardiovascular fitness keeps the blood flowing through the heart and circulatory system. Such cardiovascular fitness can be made stronger through aerobic exercises.
A combination of aerobic exercises and dumbells exercises has taken two important steps toward total body fitness. Such a person has managed to acquire greater cardiovascular fitness and a greater ability to handle weight-bearing tasks. Yet such an individual might still lack total body fitness.
Total fitness includes the possession of flexibility. Flexibility is the range of motion around a certain point. When a strong man has flexibility, then he can lift heavy objects over his head, and he can also pound on a lever, and use that lever to lift an even heavier object.
A flexible but weak individual could pound on a lever, but that lever could not lift a great deal of weight. A strong person without flexible muscles would be able to move heavy objects in only a limited number of directions. Strength is no measure of flexibility, and flexibility is no indicator of strength.
That is why one should strive to attain more than muscles that can lift weights, dumbbells and other heavy objects. One should strive towards gaining total fitness. Total fitness can offer greater benefits than any single medication. Total fitness builds stronger bones and muscles. Total fitness facilitates the functioning of the circulatory system, the digestive system and the excretory system. Total fitness speeds metabolism and thus helps the body to burn calories at a faster rate.
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