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Physical fitness is good bodily health,
and is the result of regular
exercise, proper
diet and
nutrition, and proper
rest
for physical recovery.
Nutrition is the
science that studies how
what people eat affects their health and performance, such
as foods or food components that cause diseases or deteriorate
health (such as eating too many calories, which is a major
contributing factor to
obesity,
diabetes, and
heart disease). The field of nutrition also studies foods
and dietary supplements that improve performance, promote
health, and cure or prevent disease, such as eating
fibrous foods to reduce the risk of colon cancer, or
supplementing with vitamin C to strengthen teeth and gums and to
improve the immune system.Between extremes of optimal health
and death from
starvation or
malnutrition, there is an array of disease states that can
be caused or alleviated by changes in diet. Deficiencies,
excesses and imbalances in diet can produce negative impacts on
health, which may lead to diseases such as
scurvy, obesity or
osteoporosis, as well as psychological and behavioral
problems. Moreover, excessive ingestion of elements that have no
apparent role in health, (e.g.
lead,
mercury,
PCBs,
dioxins), may incur
toxic and potentially lethal effects, depending on the dose.
The science of nutrition attempts to understand how and why
specific dietary aspects influence health.
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Exercise is the performance of
movements in order to develop or maintain
physical fitness and overall health. It is often directed
toward also honing athletic ability or skill. Frequent and
regular physical exercise is an important component in the
prevention of some of the
diseases of affluence such as
cancer,
heart disease,
cardiovascular disease,
Type 2 diabetes,
obesity and
back pain. Exercises are generally grouped into three
types depending on the overall effect they have on the human
body:
Physical exercise is considered important for maintaining
physical fitness including healthy weight; building and
maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints; promoting
physiological well-being; reducing surgical risks; and
strengthening the immune system.
Proper nutrition is just as, if not more, important to health
as exercise. When exercising it becomes even more important to
have good diet to ensure the body has the correct ratio of
macronutrients whilst providing ample micronutrients; this is to
aid the body with the recovery process following strenuous
exercise. When the body falls short of proper nutrition, it gets
into starvation mode developed through evolution and depends
onto fat content for survival. Research suggest that the
production of thyroid hormones can be negatively affected by
repeated bouts of dieting and calorie restriction[5].
Proper rest and recovery is also as important to health as
exercise, otherwise the body exists in a permanently injured
state and will not improve or adapt adequately to the exercise.
The above two factors can be compromised by psychological
compulsions (eating
disorders such as
exercise bulimia,
anorexia, and other
bulimias), misinformation, a lack of organization, or a lack
of motivation. These all lead to a decreased state of health.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness can occur after any exercise,
particularly if the body is in an unconditioned state relative
to that exercise and the exercise involves repetitive
eccentric contractions.
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Prolonged psychological stress may negatively
impact health, such as by weakening the immune
system. See
negative effects of the fight-or-flight
response. Stress management is the application of
methods to either reduce stress or increase tolerance to stress.
Certain
nootropics do both.
Exercising to improve physical
fitness, especially cardiovascular fitness, boosts the immune
system and increases stress tolerance.
Relaxation techniques are
physical methods used to relieve stress. Examples include
sexual intercourse,
progressive relaxation, and
fractional relaxation.
Psychological methods include
cognitive therapy,
meditation, and
positive thinking which work by
reducing response to stress. Improving relevant skills and
abilities builds confidence, which also reduces the stress
reaction to situations where those skills are applicable.
Reducing uncertainty, by increasing knowledge and experience
related to stress-causing situations, has the same effect.
Learning to cope with problems better, such as improving problem
solving and time management skills, may also reduce stressful
reaction to problems. Repeatedly facing an object of one's fears
may also desensitize the fight-or-flight response with respect
to that stimulus -- e.g., facing bullies may reduce fear of
bullies.
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