Staying active is one of the most powerful ways to protect your long-term health.
Regular movement supports your heart, muscles, joints, energy levels, and mental wellness—and it plays a major role in preventing chronic diseases that affect thousands of families across Southeast Wisconsin each year.
At Pillar Health and KCHC, we’re committed to helping our community live well, stay active, and take meaningful steps toward better health. Before beginning or changing any exercise routine, talk with your healthcare provider to build a safe, personalized plan that fits your age, abilities, and goals.
Call any of our locations to make an appointment in Southeast Wisconsin:
- Pillar Health Kenosha Clinic: (262) 771-1700
- KCHC 14th Avenue Kenosha Clinic: (262) 771-1688
- KCHC 22nd Avenue Kenosha Clinic: (262) 771-0070
- 2nd Street Silver Lake Clinic: (262) 771-1963
- Pillar Health Racine Clinic: (262) 771-0035
Understanding Physical Fitness
The foundation of physical fitness hasn’t changed, but the science behind how we build strength, endurance, and long-term health has. Today, fitness includes not only physical performance, but also mobility, balance, and metabolic health—key factors in preventing falls, managing weight, reducing stress, improving sleep, and lowering the risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
The five classic components of physical fitness remain essential, and modern research continues to support their role in full-body wellness.
1. Muscular Strength
Muscular strength is your body’s ability to lift, push, and carry heavy loads. Strong muscles protect your joints, improve posture, and make everyday tasks easier.
How to Train for Strength:
While heavy weights are still a strong option, health experts now recommend a balanced, functional approach:
- 2–3 strength sessions per week
- Multi-joint movements like squats, deadlifts, rows, and presses
- Free weights, resistance bands, machines, and bodyweight exercises
Strength training improves aging, bone health, injury resistance, and long-term mobility.
2. Muscular Endurance
Muscular endurance is your ability to keep working—walking long distances, shoveling snow, holding good posture, or staying active throughout the workday.
How to Improve Endurance:
Endurance responds to higher-repetition, lower-resistance work, such as:
- Light strength training (15–25 repetitions)
- Circuit training
- Planks, pushups, and light dumbbell routines
- Activities like brisk walking, hiking, or rowing
Better muscular endurance means more stamina and less fatigue in everyday life.
3. Cardiovascular Endurance
Cardiovascular endurance reflects how well your heart and lungs support activity like running, cycling, or swimming. It’s one of the strongest predictors of long-term health.
How to Build Cardiovascular Fitness:
The 2025 U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend:
- 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, or
- 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week
Common fitness assessments include:
- 12-Minute Cooper Run
- 6-Minute Walk or Step Test
- VO₂ Max readings from smartwatches and fitness trackers
Good cardiovascular health improves energy, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.
4. Flexibility
Flexibility helps your muscles and joints move comfortably through your full range of motion. Flexibility training also includes mobility, balance, and joint stability—critical for preventing injuries and maintaining independence with age.
How to Improve Flexibility:
- Stretch daily (5–10 minutes)
- Add yoga, Pilates, or mobility routines
- Use dynamic warm-ups before workouts
- Try static stretching after exercise
- Track flexibility with sit-and-reach tests
Even small improvements can reduce discomfort, improve posture, and support active living.
5. Body Composition
Body composition describes your proportions of fat, muscle, bone, and water. It is far more meaningful for health than weight or BMI alone.
Updated Healthy Body Composition Ranges (2026)
- Men: ~10–20% body fat
- Women: ~18–28% body fat
Ranges vary by age and individual health history. Your care team can help determine what’s best for you.
Why Body Composition Matters:
Healthy body composition helps:
- Reduce diabetes risk
- Improve heart and metabolic health
- Support mobility
- Lower inflammation
- Increase strength and energy
Today’s tools—bioelectrical impedance scales, clinical measurements, and waist-to-height ratios—provide better clarity than ever.
Start Your Wellness Plan With Support
Whether you’re beginning your fitness journey or looking to take your health to the next level, you don’t have to do it alone. Our care providers can help you choose safe exercises, manage chronic conditions, and build a routine that supports long-term wellness.
Call any of our locations to make an appointment in Southeast Wisconsin:
- Pillar Health Kenosha Clinic: (262) 771-1700
- KCHC 14th Avenue Kenosha Clinic: (262) 771-1688
- KCHC 22nd Avenue Kenosha Clinic: (262) 771-0070
- 2nd Street Silver Lake Clinic: (262) 771-1963
- Pillar Health Racine Clinic: (262) 771-0035
Additional Health Factors to Consider
While the five core components of physical fitness remain foundational, modern health science recognizes several additional factors that play a major role in preventing injury, managing chronic conditions, and improving overall quality of life. These components help bridge the gap between exercise, daily function, and long-term wellness.
Balance & Stability
Balance and stability determine how well you control your body’s position—whether you’re walking across an icy driveway, lifting materials at work, or stepping off a curb. In Wisconsin, where winter conditions increase the risk of slips and falls, this fitness component is especially important. Even small improvements in balance significantly increase confidence and safety in daily life.
Functional Movement
Functional movement reflects how well your body performs everyday tasks—lifting groceries, bending, reaching overhead, shoveling snow, getting in and out of a vehicle, or working a physically demanding job. Modern fitness emphasizes moving well before moving more. Poor movement patterns can lead to pain, stiffness, and long-term injuries. Correcting small movement issues early can spare years of chronic discomfort.
Recovery & Sleep
Recovery is no longer optional—it’s recognized as a major pillar of health. Your muscles, heart, and immune system repair and rebuild during rest. Without adequate recovery, even the best exercise routine becomes less effective. Sleep is now considered a medical intervention for overall health.
Mental Wellness
Physical and mental health are deeply connected. Regular movement is one of the most effective—and most accessible—tools for improving mood and reducing stress. Healthcare providers often include physical activity as part of treatment plans for mood disorders, chronic stress, and sleep disturbances.
Building movement into your daily routine is one of the simplest ways to protect your long-term mental well-being.
Complete Picture of Physical Fitness
Together, balance, functional movement, recovery, and mental wellness help round out a complete picture of physical fitness. When combined with the five core components, they support safer exercise, stronger bodies, and healthier lives—at every age.
Do not wait to schedule your appointment.
Kenosha Community Health Center has many appointment options in Kenosha and Silver Lake to meet your needs.
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