Meaning and Importance of Wellness, Health and Physical Fitness

Wellness, health and physical fitness are three of the most-used - and most-confused - words in Physical Education. They are closely related, but each has a distinct meaning, and understanding the difference is the foundation for the whole unit.

This section builds the meaning of each idea in turn: the meaning and importance of wellness (5.1.1), of health (5.1.2) and the scholarly definitions of health (5.1.3); the meaning and importance of physical fitness (5.1.4) and its scholarly definitions (5.1.5); and finally the benefits of physical activity (5.1.6) that tie them together. …