What is the difference between health, fitness and well-being, and how does an active lifestyle improve all three?
The definitions of health, fitness and well-being, the relationship between them, and the physical, mental and social benefits of taking part in physical activity.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on health, fitness and well-being, covering the precise definition of each term, how the three are linked, and the physical, mental and social benefits of a physically active lifestyle that examiners reward.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
WJEC wants you to define health, fitness and well-being precisely, explain how they are related, and describe the physical, mental and social benefits of a physically active lifestyle.
The three definitions
WJEC expects the exact wording, so learn each one.
The relationship between health, fitness and well-being
The three are connected but not identical, and the exam often tests whether you understand this difference.
- Being fit helps you stay healthy: regular exercise lowers the risk of disease such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity, and it improves mental and social well-being.
- However, you can be fit but not healthy. A trained athlete who catches flu, breaks a bone, or is under severe stress is still fit but is not in complete health at that moment.
- You can also be healthy without being especially fit: someone free of illness who does little exercise has reasonable health but low fitness.
The benefits of a physically active lifestyle
WJEC groups the benefits of physical activity into three areas. Learn at least two or three for each.
Physical benefits
- A stronger, more efficient heart (cardiac hypertrophy) and a lower resting heart rate.
- Reduced body fat and a healthier body composition, lowering the risk of obesity.
- Stronger bones (greater bone density), lowering the risk of osteoporosis later in life.
- Stronger muscles and better muscular endurance, improving posture and everyday tasks.
- A lower risk of disease such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Mental (emotional) benefits
- Reduced stress and anxiety, helped by the release of endorphins (feel-good hormones) during exercise.
- Improved mood and self-esteem and a sense of achievement.
- Better sleep and improved concentration.
Social benefits
- Making friends and meeting people through teams, clubs and classes.
- Developing teamwork, cooperation and communication.
- A structured, positive use of free time and a feeling of belonging to a group.
Why this matters for participation
Understanding the benefits is also the reason governments and schools encourage people to be active. These ideas connect directly to the socio-cultural topics on participation and provision, where the same benefits are used to justify campaigns to get more people exercising.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC style4 marksDefine the terms health and fitness, and explain how the two are linked.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark question: two marks for the definitions and two for the link between them.
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Fitness is the ability to meet the demands of the environment, or the ability to carry out everyday activities without undue tiredness.
The link: being fit helps a person stay healthy, because regular exercise reduces the risk of disease such as heart disease and obesity. However, you can be fit but not healthy (for example a fit athlete who has a cold or a broken bone), so the two are related but not the same. A top answer gives both definitions precisely and makes clear that fitness contributes to health without being identical to it.
WJEC style6 marksUsing examples, evaluate the benefits of regular physical activity for a teenager.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark extended answer. Cover physical, mental and social benefits with examples, then make a judgement.
Physical benefits include a stronger heart and lower resting heart rate, lower body fat and reduced risk of obesity, and stronger bones and muscles. Mental benefits include reduced stress and anxiety, improved mood through the release of endorphins, and better sleep and concentration for schoolwork. Social benefits include making friends through teams and clubs, learning to cooperate and communicate, and having a structured use of free time.
To reach the top band, group the benefits clearly (physical, mental, social), give a teenager-specific example for each (for example concentration in lessons, or friendships at a sports club), and finish with a judgement such as: the mental and social benefits may matter most for a teenager because they support school performance and reduce isolation, while the physical benefits build lifelong habits.
Related dot points
- The risks of a sedentary lifestyle, the components of a balanced diet, the role of the main nutrients, energy balance and the importance of hydration.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on lifestyle and nutrition, covering the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle, the components of a balanced diet, the roles of carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water, energy balance, and hydration for sport.
- The health-related and skill-related components of fitness, their definitions, and a sporting example of where each is important.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on components of fitness, covering the health-related components (cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, flexibility, body composition) and the skill-related components (agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, speed) with definitions and sporting examples.
- The factors that influence participation in physical activity (such as age, gender, peers, family, cost and access) and the barriers that reduce participation.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on participation, covering the factors that influence whether people take part in physical activity (age, gender, peers, family, role models, cost and access) and the barriers that reduce participation, with ways to overcome them.
- The target groups whose participation is below average and the provision, schemes and strategies used to increase their participation and make sport more inclusive.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on provision and target groups, covering the groups whose participation is below average, the types of provision (public, private and voluntary), and the schemes and strategies used to increase participation and make sport more inclusive.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Physical Education specification (from 2016) — WJEC (2016)