The 5 Fittest Animals In The World

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel Kant, philosopher

As humans, we generally have to make concerted efforts to exercise, whether going to the gym, playing sports, or working out at home. Exercise is not a necessity for our survival as it was in our hunter-gatherer days 10,000 years ago. Today, we can order food with a smartphone app and have a belly full of Chinese food within the hour... Hardly an exercise-centric feat.

Wild animals, however, do not have such luxuries. They must actively seek out their food and acquire it... or they die. As such, they are constantly moving and many have awe-inspiring athleticism.

Here are the five fittest animals in the world:

The Strong Beast
It's not the rhinoceros, but rather the rhinoceros beetle, that's the strongest animal pound-for-pound in the world. The beetle, often referred to as "Hercules beetle," can carry 850 times its bodyweight. This would be the equivalent of a human lifting a Boeing 737. And these insects don't even do Crossfit!

The Ultra-Marathoner
You think running a 5K is hard? A marathon? How about flying nearly 20,000 miles each year? That's what a typical Arctic tern does. Its annual route is from the Arctic to Antarctica... and back. These birds can fly thousands of miles, without eating, not even a GU Energy Gel or Gatorade is required to keep them going.

The Speedy Diver
The gannet is a seabird that can dive into the water from a height of 100 feet reaching a speed of up to 62 miles per hour. A gannet has an aerodynamically-designed head which allows it to pierce the water. Its diving speed gets the gannet deep under water where it can catch a large quantity of fish.

The Sprinter
We can't have a list of athletic animals without including the cheetah. It can go from zero-to-sixty in less than three seconds and doesn't cost over 100 grand or pollute, unlike its automotive acceleration equivalent, the Ferrari. A cheetah’s long tail enables it to maintain balance with long strides and fast speed.

The High Jumper
Any dog owner knows that fleas are a menace. A flea is quite literally a parasite: it lives off the blood it sucks from its host. Fleas have no wings, so getting around without them is very important. Instead of flying, a flea can jump very high. A typical flea can long jump one foot in distance. This is the equivalent of a human leaping over a city block, which would make for a more efficient, yet likely more chaotic, morning commute.

We’d love to hear from you. Which animal’s athletic abilities do you wish you had? Comment below or on our Facebook page or tweet us at @flytefitness.

Be Flyte Fit,

Jeremy Greenberg
Co-Founder & CEO
Flyte Fitness

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