ABSTRACT
For some purposes, physical fitness may be used to mean simply aerobic work capacity or as a measure in a specific performance test. But for the authors's purpose, fitness might be defined as a condition which permits a generally high level of physical and mental performance. The belief that there is a direct connection between physical fitness and mental performance is widely held and is clearly not new. It is believed that physical fitness provides resistance against fatigue, which also has an adverse effect on the performance of cognitive and psychomotor tasks. While scientific evidence relating mental performance with physical fitness is scarce, this is not so with respect to the performance of physical tasks and tolerance to environmental stresses. There is strong evidence of physiological improvements when those with a sedentary life-style take up regular exercise. The benefits of exercise are that the fit person is likely to look better and this acts as a reinforcement to feeling better.
