FIVE COMPONENTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS
Physical fitness has many parts. When you are physically fit you have the energy and strength to perform daily
activites without getting tired. Also, you have the energy to participate in leisure and recreation activities.
When you are fit you have a strong heart, lungs, and muscles.
1. Cardio-respiratory Endurance – (refers to the circulation of your blood through your heart and blood
vessels. With each beat of your heart, a surge of blood is released into your body's intricate web of
blood vessels)
- is considered the most important component of physical fitness and is one of the best
indicators of overall health.
- is the ability to do activities using large muscle groups for long periods of time
- is developed by repeated movements that overload the heart and lung.
- means having strong lungs and a strong heart. Your blood travels more
efficiently, bringing much-needed oxygen from your lungs and nutrients to the
rest of your body
- promotes rhythmic, deep breathing and develops greater capacity so you are
better able to take in more oxygen to nourish your cells.
- means muscles can use fuel (oxygen) to sustains activity
2. Muscular Strength
- is the maximum effort applied by a muscle or group of muscles
- is the ability of a muscle group to lift and hold weight
- helps preserve bone mass and may increase bone density
- improves balance and coordination
- a muscle will only strengthen when it is overloaded
- work opposing muscle to avoid muscle imbalance (condition in which one muscle group becomes
too strong in relation to a complementary group becoming more prone to pain or injury)
3. Muscular Endurance
- is the ability to do the same movement over and over or to hold one position for a long
time (i.e. push ups, curl ups, jump rope)
- enables muscles to continue contracting for long periods of time without excess or
overwhelming fatigue
4. Muscular Flexibility
- is the ability to move a limb through its entire range of motion
- helps lengthen and enables muscles to contract effectively
- two most common types of stretches are dynamic and static
- dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that gently takes you to the
limits of your range of motion, usually performed at the end of the warm up when core
body temperature has been elevated
- static stretching involves holding a position, stretch slowly, smoothly and in a sustained
fashion to the farthest point and hold the stretch 20 – 60 seconds; is performed after a
workout and cool down when the muscles are the warmest and most flexible; greatest
gains in flexibility are achieved at this time;
5. Body Composition
- is the percentage of fat and lean (muscle and bone) tissue
- having too little or too much body fat can lead to health problems
- exercise helps achieve a healthy weight by burning calories
- your body requires a certain amount of energy to continue the functions you need to sustain life.
- the more intensely you exercise the more calories you burn
