Fitness can be defined as the condition of being physically fit and healthy or the quality of being suitable to fulfill a particular role or task. Physical fitness is generally achieved through correct nutrition, exercise, hygiene and rest. It is a set of attributes or characteristics seen in people and which relate to the ability to perform a given set of physical activities.
Before the industrial revolution, fitness was the capacity to carry out the day’s activities without undue fatigue. However with automation and changes in lifestyles physical fitness is now considered a measure of the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations.
Specific or task-oriented fitness is a person’s ability to perform in a specific activity with a reasonable efficiency: for example, sports or military service. Specific training prepares athletes to perform well in their sports.
Examples are:
• 100 m sprint: in a sprint the athlete must be trained to work anaerobically throughout the race, an example of how to do this would be interval training.
• Marathon: in this case the athlete must be trained to work aerobically and their endurance must be built-up to a maximum.
• Many fire fighters and police officers undergo regular fitness testing to determine if they are capable of the physically demanding tasks required of the job.
• Members of armed forces will often be required to pass a formal fitness test – for example soldiers of the US Army must be able to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test .
• Hill sprints: requires a level of fitness to begin with, the exercise is particularly good for the leg muscles. The army often trains doing mountain climbing and races.
Now that you fully understand fitness and the several ways to achieving, I would like you to consider Muay Thai training as your vehicle. On your next family vacation, head to Thailand which is currently the number 1 tourist destination and rightly so. Muay Thai is just one of the many attractions that pull in millions of annual visitors.
Muay thai is a traditional martial art form originated in Thailand. It is nicknamed “the art of eight limbs” because of its eight point of contact using the fists, elbows, knees and feet.
A typical camp training session consists of:
• A 30 minute warm up/stretching routine
• 20 minutes of basic Muay Thai shadow boxing
• Technique work, focusing on a different element of Muay Thai each session.
• 3 rounds of pad work with a trainer
• 3 rounds working on the heavy bags
• 100 alternating front kicks on the heavy bags
• 200 jump knees on the bag
• 100 alternating elbows on the bag
• Marching knees
• 300 sit ups and 100 push ups
• Cool down/stretching
Think about it, a 2 hours and 30 minutes session of all the activities above twice a day will take you and your family fitness to an all time high.
Travel to Thailand on your next family vacation and experience something different.
