The terms health and fitness are often used interchangeably but they’re different, although often related.

The World Health Organization defines health as: “A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing”.

Fitness class

There’re various definitions of fitness, but commonly it’s stated as: “The ability to fulfil a particular role or task”.

We can therefore see that fitness is specific, so we may be fit to walk but not to run and that a certain level of health may be required to perform a specific task.  Similarly, the fitness required to be a sprinter, requiring power and speed, is different from that being a distance runner, needing endurance. This makes it difficult to ascertain who is the “fitter” person. Continue reading →