Just because you look fit and well-maintained doesn’t necessarily mean you’re healthy. Fitness is a buzzword nowadays. Everyone from your boss to the neighbourhood aunty is involved in some sort of physical activities that can help them achieve a healthy weight level & look fit. Fitness is a huge market with various types of diets & fitness centres & gyms blooming in every corner. Technology to enable fitness from apps to smartwatches has flooded the market.

However, most of us have failed to identify the difference between fitness and ‘good health’. We assume that fitness is the key to good health. You will be surprised to know even if you are fit, you may not be healthy. Confused? Here’s my take.

The definition of health is “A holistic idea comprising your outer, internal and mental health. It is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” What’s even more important to know is that your metabolic health plays an equally vital & significant role in defining holistic wellbeing. At its essence, metabolic health signifies maintaining ideal levels of blood sugar (<100 mg/dl), triglycerides (<150mg/dl), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL >40mg/dl in men or, >50 mg/dl in women), blood pressure (130/85mmHg) & waist circumference (Males < 90cm and Women < 80cm ), without using medications as these factors directly relate to a person’s risk for heart disease, diabetes & stroke.

Especially the young individuals who battle with metals in the gym assuming that’s all they need to remain healthy should understand the science & psychology of living healthy. What’s even more important to know is that your metabolic health plays an equally vital & significant role in defining holistic wellbeing.

A slim and muscular body signifies that a person is physically fit. However, if the person consumes unhealthy food and burns calories with a disciplined exercise regime to maintain particular physical features, that may not be an indicator of good health. A person may look exotic with pumped-up muscles & a physically fit appearance, but maybe a chain smoker, consuming an unhealthy amount of alcohol & eating a lot of junk food full of trans-fatty acids/ higher intake of salt & sugar. Do you think he/she is healthy?

Moderate amounts of exercise and following a healthy lifestyle means you can be both fit and healthy. Extremes in exercise or poor lifestyle choices can significantly impair your health. The benefits of running, for example, could be all but be cancelled out by the health risks of smoking or drinking excessive alcohol. By avoiding obvious healthy pitfalls such as tobacco, recreational drugs & a nutritionally poor diet, you remove many of the things that can adversely affect your health. Regular, moderate, varied exercise will take care of your fitness.

As you continue on your personal health journey, or if you are just getting back on track, ask yourself this simple question: “Am I on the road to becoming fit and healthy, or just fit?” If your answer is “just fit,” try incorporating other aspects of wellness into a more comprehensive plan that revolves around the combination of physical, mental, emotional & spiritual health.

If it is simply healthy to get the doctor off your back, ask yourself what can I do to achieve more & live life to the fullest? Healthy is good but if you can’t walk up the stairs without puffing & being tired all day, or enjoy a nice trek in the wilderness, what’s the point? Address both sides of the equation, set both health & fitness/performance goals & watch as you thrive.