Final answer:
Physical fitness is affected by age, biological maturation, and environmental factors, with lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise playing a critical role in influencing one's overall fitness and in slowing down the aging process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Factors Affecting Physical Fitness
Physical fitness is influenced by a variety of factors that continue to affect individuals throughout their lives. Among these, age, maturation, and the environment play significant roles. Age and maturation refer to the natural process of aging and the developmental changes that occur as a person grows older. Biological factors, or primary aging processes, such as molecular and cellular changes, are natural and unavoidable. As we pass through different stages of adulthood, our physical capabilities peak and then gradually decline. Exercise, nutrition, and leading an active lifestyle are controllable factors that can help minimize the physical declines of middle and late adulthood. However, the impact of aging can vary largely between individuals.
Puberty is a critical time for physical development, and how quickly or slowly a teenager matures can have social and psychological effects. In addition to biological factors, lifestyle choices such as diet and nutrition, rest, stress management, and exercise contribute to one's overall physical fitness. Indeed, a healthy diet, regular physical activity, adequate rest, and good stress management practices can improve physical fitness and slow down the secondary aging process, which is influenced by lifestyle choices such as a sedentary life and poor dietary habits.