In today’s culture, the word “fitness” has been transformed into something it was never intended to be. If you search its definition on the internet, more than likely you’ll find “health.” Is that what fitness is? Health? Well, how do we define health?
In the 17th Century, the word “fitness” was created as a noun form for the adjective “fit.” The word “fit” means “appropriated for a certain function.” For example, if you give me a glass of water, I might ask, “Is this water fit for drinking?” If your answer is yes, then the water in which you gave me contains fitness for its intended function. If we take this definition and apply it to human beings, then what does fitness really mean? In order to answer that, we must find out what humans are fit for. What are the physical functions of a human being? Human beings run, jump, throw, lift, catch, crawl, climb, swim, squat, push, pull, etc. If these are functions that human beings should be fit for, then fitness must be the efficient ability to perform these functions. That is the goal of Dunetos Fitness. Isolating individual muscles while sitting on a machine does not attain this kind of fitness; neither does strictly stationary cardio. Real fitness is attained by intensity, constant variance of exercises, functionality in movements, appropriate load, and creativity. If fitness means preparedness for real life demands, then you must train as if it were real life. This kind of training involves much more than weight training. We must be prepared in running, swimming, biking, lifting, throwing, squatting, pushing, pulling, etc. All of these are functions of human beings. Our bodies must be proficient in performing them.
Why Should We Train?
Depending on your lifestyle, lack of exercise can increase body fat, lower energy levels, decrease joint strength and bone density, weaken your heart, and at times cause a lack of motivation. We should do everything to keep that from happening. God created our bodies to work. In our culture, the living demand has lessened and become much more convenient. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is up to us to preserve a good work ethic and keep our bodies healthy and in shape despite the convenient living demands.
Not only are we to keep our bodies healthy, but men are commanded to be “competent, and ready for every good work” (1st Timothy 3:17). Likewise, women are to “dress themselves with strength and makes their arms strong” (Proverbs 31:17.) Many times, good works demand physical strength and competence; we must always be ready to perform the tasks God requires of us and those that life throws at us. Fitness is preparedness for the demands of life and for our prescribed duties.
Five Pillars of Fitness
1. Fitness Means Preparedness – God commands us in His Word to be ready for every good work. The works and responsibilities of life demand physical preparedness. It is critical that we always remain ready and prepared for what God would have us do. This is why we ought to work to achieve fitness.
2. Bodily training has value, Godliness has much more – 1st Timothy 4:8 tells us that “while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Fitness is very important, and we should be disciplined to achieve it. But, obedience to God’s Word always precedes it in priority and importance.
3. Constantly Vary Workouts – Keep workouts constantly changing in their modal form, in the exercises they contain, and in their allotted time domains.
4. Perform Functional Movements – Always perform exercises that are natural in their range of motion, that express maximum force by using collective muscle groups, and that apply to realistic physical activity. Isolated and segmented movements are not functional.
5. Keep a High Intensity – It is important to always perform work as fast as possible, while still maintaining proper form. Demands of life are intense. We need to be ready for them.