Health, fitness and well-being

• Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not just being free from disease or illness.
• Fitness is the ability to meet the demands of the environment: to cope with the physical demands of daily life, work or sport without getting too tired.
• Well-being is feeling comfortable, healthy and happy with your life. It includes your relationships, education, work and surroundings.

The three are linked, but they aren't the same:

• Someone can be fit but not healthy. A footballer can be very fit but have a cold, or be stressed and unhappy, so they aren't completely healthy.
• Someone can be healthy but not very fit. A person with no illness, who is happy and has good friends, may still get out of breath running for a bus.
• Fitness is mostly physical. Health covers the physical, mental and social. Well-being is about how a person feels about their life.

Physical activity can improve all three: it builds fitness, which helps health, and it can make people feel good and meet others.