The concept of fitness has become standardised in modern language. A commonly heard phrase is "I go to the gym 2 times a week.", replied with "I know a good fitness center near you."

Fitness is more than that, or rather, fitness is a term for everything that makes us fit. It signifies a state of good physical and mental health and good physical condition results from regular physical exercise and proper nutrition.

Feeling good about your skin, health and the capability to perform everyday tasks, being fit, is the goal of every individual. Many scientific papers mention and prove the positive impact of physical activity on health, using the term health of fitness (health-related fitness), which identify that physical activity can be favourably or unfavourably marked, and is thus reflected in health status (Heimer and Mišigoj-Duraković, 1999).

High quality health contributes to a better quality of life as well as succeeds to the fight against stress. Everyday, regular and continuous activities contribute to improving our overall health and physical fitness.

A fit person does not necessarily achieve top competition results, but the good level of endurance, muscular strength and flexibility helps the person’s balance and coordination. Proper body weight (desirable ratio of fatty mass of the body), good blood count, genetic predisposition, good eating habits and way of life and work are more factors which contribute to a good body condition.

The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends daily physical activity of moderate intensity to preserve and improve good health conditions. Selecting the activity depends on the preferences, abilities, knowledge, wishes and possibilities of each individual. It is good to combine multiple forms of physical activity based on the physical and weather conditions of the location one lives.

Aerobic endurance and stamina are the most important skills for health care. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, aerobic training is any form of physical activity that is performed by activating the large muscle groups, for at least 20 minutes continuously, with 60-80% intensity depending on the individual.

Aerobic endurance directly affects the efficient operation of cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. A trained heart beats fewer times per minute, pumps more blood to the blood circulation, improves the overall circulation in the body, the blood vessels are firmer and more elastic, inhaled oxygen is better and more efficiently delivered to all body cells, and there is an improvement on the elimination of carbon dioxide and waste substances from the body.

At the beginning of each exercise, the body spends glycogen as a source of energy, which is stored in the muscles and liver and chemical processes resulting from carbohydrates. The body benefits from using glycogen rationally as an energy source and therefore will be, whenever possible, a "switch" to the consumption of fat. In order to preserve glycogen, the body begins to consume fat 20 minutes after the start of exercise if you are in an adequate aerobic zone, and after 30 minutes of continuous exercise the consumption of fat will be significantly higher. Further consumption will depend primarily on the intensity of the exercise, and physical conditions. The use of fat as an energy source is only possible in the presence of oxygen and long-term activities of lower and moderate intensity are recommended. However, exercise should not be exaggerated because it significantly increases the chance of injury.

The body's metabolism is accelerated for some time after exercise and continues to have an increasing need for energy. For this reason, it is good to move around whenever possible, regardless of whether you are overweight or not, even for 10-15 minutes - it is more than nothing.

A trained person stores glycogen in muscle cells in a greater quantity than an untrained person, something which allows more long-term work without feeling fatigued, a product of labor, lactic acid faster and better re-converted into energy. Despite the fact that the body has enough glycogen in stock, it uses it as a source of energy before using fat. Muscle mass resting consumes more calories than fat tissue and recovery will be quicker and more complete for a fit person.

As long as the chosen activity is repeated regularly and continuously, at least 3 times a week or ideally, daily for half an hour, and as long as this activity fits your body and spirit, you will keep receiving pleasure and continue to enjoying it!