Health vs Fitness - What is the Difference?

Health versus fitness - what is the difference? Serious subject today

In today's issue of the Star newpaper (page 16) had a story stating the average Malaysian takes 41 days sick each leave each years. 41 days is 6 weeks. Seems to be a lot to me but since it came from "research" from god knows where and the DPM Najib said so , it must be right, I guess.

Back to the topic. I think I must be healthy person as the last time I took medical leave was in 1996 (9 years ago). In fact, I guess I have only taken less than 2 weeks medical leave over the past 17 years. Way below the average of a sickly Malaysian (41 days in one year). Absence of health problems and infrequent illness is a sign of health.

But good health only goes so far. It allows someone to go through the normal daily activity without too much trouble. Things like going to work, working and returning back to home and speninding time with family. Good health is the minimum requirement to get through life.

Fitness means something else . It means being able to do extra activities besides the minimum requirement. Things like the occasional games with your kids. If I can liken it to a car, being fit is like having a 2400 cc engine fitted in a standard 1600 cc Proton car. The 1600 engine works fine but when need comes to overtake other vehicles or going uphill, the car with the larger engine will do the job better than the 1600 cc car.

That is what one aspect of fitness is - having reserve capacity to do more than the minimum requirement. But there are other benefits to being fit (aerobic) such as a having healthy body weight, lower risk of heart diseases, diabetes etc.

But what motivates us runners to run is maybe not just to become fit. We enjoy running and that is what keeps us going. Plus I get a kick of seeing the astonished expressions on the less fit/coach potatoes as I whizzed by them on a routine 8 km run.