Many definitions of fitness involve an ability to live well, enjoy leisure and resist disease. In other words: be in good health, shape and condition. For the average exerciser, then, getting fit focuses on aesthetics, health and function - often in that order of importance. The basic components of fitness are body composition, cardiovascular, flexibility, muscular endurance and strength. There are also, however, movement skills.

These "motor fitness" elements include agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time and speed. Despite being more associated with sportspeople, dancers, gymnasts and martial artists, such refined aspects of the body are becoming a familiar part of everyday gym regimes, as they relate closely to function.

Functionality refers to preparing the individual to cope with the physical demands of their lifestyle. Emphasis falls on training movements, not just muscles. Rather than only isolated exercises to work a single muscle group, training involves large groups of muscles operating as a team to carry out tasks.

But if priority is to change body shape, why focus on motion skills? Here are just a few of the reasons:

- They complement and enhance traditional strength and cardiovascular exercise.

- Though hard to quantify, there is a ‘vitality' and ‘grace' about a person who moves well.

- They necessitate posture improvement, which benefits appearance and health.

- They also have other advantages, such as injury prevention and greater mind-body connection.

So if you're wondering why your trainer has you jumping onto an unstable object and simultaneously catching a ball - apart from being a fun way to use energy - it is enhancing motor skills. Most workouts now combine exercises such as machine weights with the more progressive ‘functional movement patterns'. At it's most simple, the logic is that to look like an athlete or dancer, you must train a little like one.

Movement fitness appeals to a wide range of people - it draws from the scientific, as seen in sports conditioning, as well as the artistic, as seen in dance. Disciplines often cross over. The Sydney Swans footballers, for example, practise yoga. They even recently had a workshop with Cirque Du Soleil acrobats. More amazingly, many gridiron teams in the US include ballet in their fitness training - correct ballet positions involve balance, centre of gravity, leverage and rotational mechanics. These are all motor abilities essential to top sportspeople.

For those hitting the gym, this doesn't mean you have to start attending salsa classes or taking up kung fu. Rather, fitness routines should include challenges that explore and expand the movement skills used in a range of different activities - sporty or artistic. An experienced fitness professional can help here, by enriching physical dexterity in a safe, time-efficient way.

With society's increasingly sedentary habits, developing an appreciation for finely tuned motor skills is imperative. Exercise that includes all the dimensions of human motion can help improve our appearance, health, and performance in lifestyle.

ACSM #43