How HEALTHY are you?
The word ‘fit’ is so often used synonymously with the word ‘healthy’ it seems unfathomable that someone who is physically fit might still be unhealthy, and yet it’s possible. Indeed, the two terms describe different things, with ‘fitness’ relating to a person’s ability to perform a specific exercise task, and ‘health’ describing a person’s overall wellbeing, for which all bodily systems work optimally. Sure, keeping fit is one factor in maintaining good health, but it isn’t the only component. A 2013 study in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, for example, found that you can be fit and have poor dental health, with 76 per cent of tested London 2012 Olympic athletes showing signs of gingivitis. Another study in the journal Current Sports Medicine Reports reveals that 90 minutes of intense exercise has been shown to suppress the immune system for up to 72 hours. Want to know how to be both fit and healthy? Our experts have the answers…
Q Keeping fit is only one element of a healthy lifestyle. Apart from staying active, what other things should we be doing?
Dr Juliet
