How do you define fitness?

rickdkitson

Everyone wants to get ‘fit’. The problem comes when you ask anyone what they define as being fit. Are there any definite metrics that tell you what you must be able to accomplish to be considered fit?

The Art of Manliness website gives 5 bench marks for what a man should be able to do to save his own life. https://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/09/15/every-man-should-be-able-to-save-his-own-life-5-fitness-benchmarks-a-man-must-master/

These are swim a half mile, run 200 m at top speed, jump over obstacles higher than his waist, do 15 to 20 pullups, and 25 or more dips.

If you search the military fitness standards there are different sets of benchmarks for being considered fit for military service or for combat.

For example the USMC basic fitness standards are similar but shorter with only run, pullups and crunches.

https://www.military.com/military-fitness/marine-corps-fitness-requirements/usmc-physical-fitness-test

The combat fitness test is more stringent with runs, ammo lifts ( lifting a weight a number of times over your head) and a maneuver under fire test. https://www.military.com/military-fitness/marine-corps-fitness-requirements/marine-corps-combat-fitness-test

Wikipedia also has some suggestions on what is fit however they tend to talk more about fitness for specific occupations and elite fitness standards rather than for what is fit for an average person.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_fitness

Personally I’d define fitness as being able to do all the events that you will face in your daily life without undue exertion and to do those events that occur in emergency situations and to complete them. The CDC has a similar but fuller definition. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/index.html

For daily tasks I’d include walking fast a distance, a short run, a farmer carry (luggage at an airport for example) and an ability to lift a weight over your head.

Emergency situations would be a fast dash 200 m or so, a fireman’s carry for 100 m, a longer swim without a time limit (1 or 2 kms).

I am just not sure what standards to apply for time to complete these efforts. How would they vary with age and gender?

Machka9

One possible definition ...

There are 5 components of physical fitness:
https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/body-building/the-5-components-of-physical-fitness.html

You can google that statement '5 components of physical fitness' and see more articles.

The 5 components are:

Cardiovascular Endurance
Muscular Strength
Muscular endurance
Flexibility
Body Composition

Machka9

Now personally, I'm not interested in getting "fit" generally.

I have certain sports/fitness goals, so I do what it takes to meet those goals.

seska422

I don't think that hard-and-fast rules can define overall fitness as a bright line. Fit for a certain activity or purpose, yes. Parameters to use to say "yes, you are fit" or "no, you are not fit", no. If a person only met 98% of the criteria, would that mean that they weren't fit? Would a marathon runner and a body builder be judged by the same or different criteria?

Even if you massage out the data for what you think is the definition of a fit person, that won't be a definition for anyone but you.

ap1972

Stick me on a bike and I could probably ride for a 30-40 miles at a half decent pace but ask me to jog for more than a couple hundred yards and I would struggle.

Lean59man

My definition of fitness:

"The ability to perform daily required physical activities in an efficient manner with out injury".

Such as shoveling out the driveway without straining the back or having a heart attack.

What is not required (for me) is the ability to complete a triathlon, ruck an 80 lb pack 20 miles, swim the English Channel, or ride a bike 200 miles..