The ability to perform a physical activity lies, firstly, in the individual’s previous state and in the attributes related to the ability to perform the physical activity, in order to, in a second moment, be able to perfect said development through specific preparation.
| Physical Conditioning | Training |
| Focuses on improving physical qualities such as strength, endurance, flexibility, and speed. | It can also include physical, technical, and psychological preparation. |
| Mainly aims to improve physical fitness and overall health. | Objectives vary depending on the sport and the individual. |
| It can be used for general physical activity and health. | Often involves preparation for specific performance or athletic goals. |
| Uses planned physical exercise to improve physical capacity. | Includes structured workloads and rest periods according to the training goal. |
What Is Physical Conditioning?
Physical conditioning is the development of physical qualities through exercise to achieve a healthy overall condition.
The physical qualities or capabilities of human beings include endurance, strength, flexibility, and speed, although all of them are interrelated and their development leads to better overall physical conditioning.
Development of Physical Qualities
With the aim of developing physical qualities, one can:
- Increase levels of physical activity, that is, any activity that involves an energy cost higher than the basal metabolic rate.
- Perform physical exercises, that is, structured, programmed, systematic, and repetitive physical activity with the goal of improvement. This concept is the basis for defining conditioning as the scientific and pedagogical process of guiding and increasing physical capacity through physical exercise.
- To do sport, that is, to practise a regulated physical activity, usually of a competitive nature.
Physical activity should not be confused with exercise. Physical activity encompasses exercise, but also other activities that involve bodily movement and are performed as part of play, work, active transportation, household chores, and some recreational activities.
Increasing the level of physical activity is a social necessity, not just an individual one, since physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality (6% of deaths recorded worldwide).
What Is Training?
Training is the physical, technical, and psychological preparation for the maximum development of the athlete’s abilities.
The training objectives differ depending on the sport practised and the individual receiving the training.
Unlike the specific training of different sports disciplines, in the field of physical activity for health the basic objectives of training coincide with those of physical conditioning: to improve physical and motor qualities with the aim of reducing the risk of developing health problems and maintaining a positive base of physical health.
Objectives of Training in the Field of Physical Activity for Health
Reduce the risk of developing diseases and maintain healthy levels of cholesterol, blood pressure, body fat, glucose tolerance, functional capacity and stress.
Maintain a positive physical health base, with healthy levels of trunk flexibility, abdominal endurance, flexibility, muscle strength and endurance, body fat, functional capacity and stress.
The Success of Proper Physical Conditioning
Given that there are no magic formulas or fixed parameters regarding the intensity, volume, or type of training to achieve the proposed objectives, the success of proper conditioning lies in the ability to constantly adjust the physical activity to the person and not the other way around.
For any physical activity to be effective and achieve the expected results, it must be well programmed, tailored to each person’s needs, and carried out systematically.
This planning of physical activity, called training or conditioning, not only ensures that users adhere to the activity and achieve the predetermined objectives, but also serves as the basic tool for the personal trainer to prevent unnecessary risks and injuries.
Properly planning a training programme means correctly organising workloads and rest periods.
In this way, the body can react to the stress generated by exercise and can overcome it, thereby increasing its level of physical fitness.
Principles of Training and Physical Conditioning
The set of general rules that enable the planning, control and organisation of training are known as training principles, which, although they have been traditionally applied in high performance, must be taken into account to define the specific objectives to be achieved with training in the field of physical activity for health.
These are principles derived from physiology, biochemistry, psychology, biomechanics … Some of the basic concepts and theories that underpin the more general principles relate to the mechanisms of adaptation and fatigue.
Although a classification of general principles has not yet been achieved, one of the most common classifications differentiates between biological principles and pedagogical principles.
- Biological principles would be those that affect the processes of organic adaptation and
- The pedagogical principles would be those that refer most directly to the methodology used during the training process.
Also Read: No More Excuses! This Is How Your Training Becomes A Habit
