Today we celebrate National Senior Health and Fitness Day. The common goal for this day: to help keep older Americans healthy and fit.

Is there a difference between being healthy and being fit?

Well, just because a body builder, or any athlete for that matter, looks strong, sculpted and without a trace of fat, there is no guarantee that he or she is healthy.

To be healthy, you must be fit, but you can be fit and not be healthy. They are not equal. Health is a state of complete physical, mental well-being, not merely the absence of disease. Fit means in good health, especially because of regular physical exercise.

Sometimes the more fit we are, the easier it is to ignore our body’s warnings. This is true of young people as well as adults. We can easily disregard warning signs, however, being healthy means listening to our brains and our bodies.

So, what five things should you NOT ignore?

1. Chest pain or discomfort

2. Unexplained shortness of breath

3. Light-headedness or blacking out, especially during exercise

4. Unexplained fatigue

5. Palpitations–the sense of a rapid or irregular heartbeat.

Any of these warning signs or a family history of heart issues, deserves investigation, because being healthy is the ultimate goal.

Article provided by Arnold Schewitz Foundation.