Health, fitness and wellbeing — AQA GCSE Physical Education revision

Defining health, fitness and wellbeing

• Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
• Fitness is the ability to meet the demands of the environment, made up of physical, mental and skill-related components.
• Wellbeing includes physical wellbeing (fitness, energy), emotional wellbeing (managing feelings, self-esteem) and social wellbeing (relationships, belonging).
• Regular exercise gives physical benefits (improved fitness, weight control, reduced disease risk), emotional benefits (stress relief, better mood, confidence) and social benefits (teamwork, friendships, sense of belonging).

Consequences of a sedentary lifestyle

• A sedentary lifestyle means very low levels of physical activity, often involving lots of sitting.
• It increases the risk of obesity, which raises strain on joints and the heart.
• It increases risk of type 2 diabetes (the body cannot control blood sugar effectively) and hypertension (high blood pressure).
• It increases risk of coronary heart disease due to fatty deposits building in arteries.
• It can cause poor sleep quality and increase the risk of depression and low self-esteem.

Key terms

Health

A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing.

Fitness

The ability to meet the demands of the environment.

Wellbeing

A state of comfort, health and happiness across physical, emotional and social areas.

Sedentary lifestyle

A lifestyle involving little to no regular physical activity.

Obesity

Having excess body fat to the extent that it may negatively affect health.

Hypertension

Persistently high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease.

Common exam traps

• Health is not just 'not being ill' — it includes physical, mental and social wellbeing.
• Fitness and health are related but different — you can be fit but not fully healthy, or healthy but not very fit.
• Carbohydrates fuel high-intensity exercise; fats fuel low-intensity, long-duration exercise — don't swap these.

Practice questions with answers

1. 1. Which definition best describes 'health'?

   • • Ability to meet demands of the environment
   • • A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing
   • • The absence of injury only
   • • The ability to run fast

   Answer: A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing

   Health covers more than just physical condition.

2. 2. Which is a social benefit of exercise?

   • • Reduced disease risk
   • • Improved friendships/teamwork
   • • Increased muscle mass
   • • Lower blood pressure

   Answer: Improved friendships/teamwork

   Social benefits relate to relationships and belonging, not physical changes.

3. 3. Name one disease linked to a sedentary lifestyle.

   Answer: Obesity / type 2 diabetes / heart disease / hypertension

   Inactivity increases risk of several chronic diseases.

4. 4. Which nutrient is the body's main energy source for high-intensity exercise?

   • • Protein
   • • Fat
   • • Carbohydrate
   • • Fibre

   Answer: Carbohydrate

   Carbohydrates are broken down quickly to fuel high-intensity effort.

5. 5. Which nutrient is mainly used for growth and repair of tissue?

   • • Protein
   • • Carbohydrate
   • • Fat
   • • Vitamins

   Answer: Protein

   Protein builds and repairs muscle tissue.

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