What Defines a Fit Person?
When describing someone who is fit, we might say that he or she looks healthy, appears relatively lean, and has some muscular definition. Implied in this definition is a sense that the person has healthy cardiovascular function. We use the terms fit, in good shape, and in good physical condition interchangeably. For competitive athletes, this definition would not come close to describing the level of conditioning they strive for. So fitness must be defined personally, based on the level of physical functioning that supports what the individual wishes to achieve. A competitive weight lifter will have a very different personal fitness goal than a marathon runner. The weight lifter, like a high jumper or a football defensive lineman, will need muscle power that provides short bursts of high energy and intensity. The long-distance runner wants just the opposite: muscles that can continue to perform after two hours as well as when the race started. For most of us, our fitness goals are much
