Success Triggers Part 3 : How Physical Fitness Influences Success.

Today we will be talking about how physical fitness influences success. Recall I mentioned that to be a successful person you must not only master mind management but put in the right building blocks that facilitate solid growth and stability in your life. Being physically fit is one of them


The benefits of being fit have been scientifically proven. Physical fitness enhances your productivity and mental alertness, helps lower your cholesterol level, and reduces stress. Consequently your overall risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced and your overall health is improved. Fitness improves your quality of life and is a key component of your quest for success.

So what is the definition of fitness? Fitness can be defined in terms of five components:

• Cardiovascular fitness – this is the body’s ability to carry oxygen from the lungs to the cells and transport waste out of the cells. In other words, you ability to carry out activities that require efficient processing of oxygen, or breathing, at an elevated heart rate.

• Muscular strength – this is defined as the greatest amount of effort that can be exerted by a muscle or group of muscles. In other words, your ability to lift the heaviest amount of weight possible.

• Muscular endurance – the ability of the muscle or muscle group to sustain repetitive motion at a sub-maximum load for a certain period of time. That is, the ability to repeatedly lift an amount of weight that weighs less than the maximum amount that you can lift.

• Flexibility – the ability to move through an entire, normal range of motion.

• Body composition – the amount of body fat in comparison to total body mass.

In order to improve your fitness in the five components above, you need to engage in an effective fitness program. This doesn’t mean that you necessarily need a complicated piece of equipment, a gym, or a personal trainer. All of these things can be incorporated into a fitness program, but are not a requirement. An effective fitness program only requires the following components:

• Regularity – in order to benefit from the effects of a fitness program, you must exercise at least three times a week.

• Intensity – an effective fitness program requires a minimum level of intensity or duration. You should exercise for at least 20 to 30 minutes at a time.

• Balance – your fitness program should target all the components of fitness. Your exercise routine should include cardiovascular, strength, endurance and flexibility training. You body composition will naturally improve when you work on the other components of fitness, as long as you also watch your diet.

• Variety – it is important that you introduce a variety of exercises in your routine and make regular changes to your exercises in order to avoid boredom. One of the key components of a good fitness program is its ability to keep you motivated so that you don’t quit.

• Recovery – you must allow you body to recover from an intense exercise session. When you work with weights, you should give your muscles 48 hours to recover before you train the same muscle group again.