Fitness means different things to different people. For some, it means running a marathon or having a buff, muscular bodybuilder's physique to show off at the beach. For others, it?s just the ability to carry a baby or a bag of groceries up a flight of stairs without panting. For the purposes of this book, fitness means having a healthy, functional body?one that enables you to lead a comfortably active life. The book will also touch on activities that may not interest you now, but which gain new appeal as you get into shape. Fitness is not only an end unto itself, but it is also a major component of wellness, which includes physical and mental health, and emotional wellbeing too. A physically active child can be on the right road to a lifetime of fitness. A fit teenager will have a wholesome body image, an ability to compete in sports, and enhanced self-esteem. A workout program enables adults to combat work-related stress, and fit women usually have more comfortable pregnancies, easier childbirth and quicker recovery than out-of-shape women. Fit people are more likely stay well, active, and productive through their middle years, when heart disease, cancer, cardiovascular problems and other health issues begin to crop up. And people who retain, or even build, their fitness late in life can remain active and vital for many years. As we, as a population, age, such quality-of-life issues are not trivial. Fitness should not be a fling, but a lifetime commitment. Once you get on a regular program, exercise can become addictive, and it?s the best addiction you can have. Claire Walter September 1999
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