conditioning

1:  the process of training to become physically fit by a regimen of exercise, diet, and rest <Good shoes and proper conditioning are the best bets for avoiding shin splints.—Current Health, November 1982> <He also got serious about his physical conditioning with a regimen that includes Pilates, weights and cardio training.—Alan Shipnuck, Sports Illustrated, 9 Sept. 2002>; also :  the resulting state of physical fitness <Triathletes maintained their aerobic conditioning while developing new skills and strengthening neglected muscles.—Marlene Adrian, Shape, September 1991>

2:  a simple form of learning involving the formation, strengthening, or weakening of an association between a stimulus and a response <According to the theory, learning or conditioning is the process by which behavior is systematically and lastingly changed.—Harvard Mental Health Letter, December l990> <… aversive conditioning to tie undesirable actions to unpleasant stimuli and thereby break habits.—The New York Times Magazine, 26 Oct. 1980>—see classical conditioning, operant conditioning