ABSTRACT
What is fitness? From the point of view of sports medicine, fitness is a combination of strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance; it can be quantified and evaluated relative to established benchmarks. However, asking people what they mean when they say, “I think I’m fit,” or “She doesn’t look fit,” often leads to a less straightforward definition. Certainly, fitness is experienced in part as physical ability, whether in the context of exercise or not – the strength to lift weights or groceries; the flexibility to perform a yoga posture or tie shoelaces; the endurance to power-walk or walk to work. But fitness is also associated with less tangible qualities: living up to expectations, or looking a certain way.
