Fitness is defined as "the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness without fatigue, with ample energy to enjoy leisure time pursuits and to meet unforseen emergencies"

Physical fitness means different things to different people, such as a dancer to a marathan runner, a mail man to a weightlifter but one fact is clear though if fitness is your goal, exercise is the way to get there.

There are nine components of physical fitness:

Strength - the extent to which muscles can exert force by contracting against resistance (e.g holding or restraining an object or person)

Power - the ability to exert maximum muscular contration instantly in an explosive bust of movements (e.g jumping or a sprint start)

Agility - the ability to perform a series of explosive power movements in rapid succession in opposing directions (e.g zigzag running)

Balance - the ability to control the body's position either stationary (eg. headstand) or while moving (e.g gymnastics stunts)

Co-Ordination - the ability to integrate the above listed components so that effective movements are achieved

Flexibiity - the ability to achieve an extended ranage of motion without being impeded by excess tissue, i.e fat or muscle (e.g executing a leg split)

Muscle Endurance - a single muscle's ability to perform sustained work (e.g rowing or cycling)

Strength Endurance - a muscle's ability to perform a maximum contraction time after time (e.g continuous explosive rebounding through an entire basketball game)

Cardiovascular Endurance - the heart's ability to deliver blood to working muscles and their ability to use it (e.g running long distances)

Of all the nine elements of fitness cardiac respiratory qualities are the most important to develop as they enhance all the other components.