fitness industry
In recent years, the fitness industry has grown to be massive. For instance, in the year 2013, the sector generated more than $75 billion as revenue (Lembo, 415). Studies have revealed in countries like the United States, and other European countries, about 30% of adults undertake fitness sessions sometimes, while 60 percent perform frequent fitness-related activities (Thompson, 10). The term “fitness” can take a double trajectory. On the one side, it can be recognized as an activity in the world of sport.
On the other hand, fitness may be viewed as a sport that can be embraced by individuals in pursuit of leisure, or otherwise to enhance the general wellbeing (Lembo, 415). The Cambridge dictionary defines fitness as the state of “physically strong and healthy” (“Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary,” n.p). The terms fitness, exercise, training, and physical activity are intertwined and often confused or used in place of the other. Over the years, there have been advancements in economic status and demographics of the human population, which in turn has provoked the diversification of the meaning and usage of the terms fitness, physical activity, and sports. Today, the concept of sport comes with inherent sense other being for competition; it takes the aims that bring some satisfaction. In effect, there has been a decrease in the need for competitive sport, with the surge for personalized physical activities whose objective to acquire inherent mental equilibrium. The concept of physical activity thus implies “fitness” or “fitness training’. However, these terms may be more complicated than just “exercise” or “activity” (Paoli et al., 145). This paper associates fitness with a set of tasks that carried out in the gymnasiums or the homes to attain balanced mental and physical health for inner satisfaction as well in preparation for competitive sport. Several activities that can be carried out include resistance training activities, functional fitness tasks, and group fitness activities.
Fitness is a massive industry with promising benefits for both global competitive sport and individual consumption since it provides avenues for bringing about the sense of wellness, inner satisfaction, and aesthetic value in individuals for improved health outcomes.
Methods
The paper adopted a narrative literature review method. According to Paré and Kitsiou, narrative review focuses on reviewing existing literature and tends to be biassed towards a prop of existing ideas qualitatively. The primary purpose is to synthesize what has been documented on a given subject. Its purpose is to gather and synthesize existing knowledge to show the value of a given perspective. In effect, the researcher may be carrying out a skewed selection of literature to emphasize a given point of view (Paré and Kitsiou, n.p.). However, this method has received some criticism in that a reviewer may purposely curtail or ignore some research to justify their point of view. Since the technique is somewhat unsystematic, the use of materials is subjective. It may not have clear-cut criteria for inclusion, which offers the possibility of giving biased interpretations and conclusions (Green et al., 112).
Nevertheless, narrative review is essential in piecing up information on a particular topic and synthesizing it. The primary purpose of the review is to come up with an in-depth background for discerning existing literature and to point out the need for new research (Cronin et al., 40).