5 components of physical fitness

5 components of physical fitness

While the definition of physical fitness can be somewhat complex or unclear, and the definition of physical fitness can vary, most government health authorities and exercise scientists agree that there are 5 components of physical fitness that are related to health. These components provide a fairly accurate representation of the fitness and health of the entire body (overall or overall fitness). The 5 components are cardiovascular fitness (also called cardio-respiratory endurance or cardiovascular endurance), muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.

Let's take a closer look at these components individually.

1.) Cardiovascular fitness (or cardio-respiratory endurance or cardiovascular endurance)

Of the 5 components, cardiovascular fitness is the cornerstone that creates the path to improving your other fitness levels.

Cardiovascular fitness is the efficiency with which the body (heart and lungs) delivers oxygen and nutrients to required working muscles and transports waste products out of cells over an extended period of time. Or to put it another way, it is the ability of your heart and lungs to work together to provide your body with the oxygen and fuel it needs without quickly reaching high levels of tiredness and fatigue.

In our daily lives, we need cardiovascular fitness to handle the physical tasks and all the “running around” we do.

A common test of cardiovascular fitness usually involves some form of sustained running. Typical examples of physical activities related to cardiovascular fitness include jogging, swimming, cycling, brisk or fast walking, and any type of aerobic exercise. Aerobics is the best way to improve cardiovascular fitness.

2.) Muscle strength

Muscular strength is the maximum force (weight or heavy resistance) that a muscle or muscle group can produce in a single effort, to the point that no more repetitions can be performed without rest. Muscular strength is the opposite of cardiovascular fitness in terms of the fact that cardiovascular fitness is measured over a period of time. On the other hand, muscle strength is measured in one repetition.

In our daily lives, we need a modest level of strength to be able to perform everyday physical tasks such as lifting, moving, carrying, etc.

A common test to measure upper body strength is a type of weight lifting such as the bench press. Anaerobic weightlifting exercises such as bench presses, leg presses, shoulder presses, or bicep curls are examples of the best ways to improve muscle strength.

3.) Muscular endurance

Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to perform repetitive movements (or holding a specific position) with less than maximal force for an extended period of time or to the point of muscle fatigue. Or, to put it simply, it's how long your muscles can do something before they're too exhausted to finish.

Be careful not to confuse muscular endurance with muscular strength. While they may work together, they are definitely not the same. For many athletes, it may be necessary to differentiate between muscular strength and muscular endurance. But for everyday people who want to go about their daily routine with ease, want to stay healthy and fit, and just enjoy physical activities like walking, cycling, or just playing in the park with their kids, muscular endurance plays an important role in fitness.

Common tests of muscular endurance can be dynamic (the ability to repeat contractions) or static (the ability to maintain a contraction). Dynamic testing would show how many push-ups or sit-ups, for example, a person can perform in a given period of time (e.g., 30 seconds, a minute, or longer). Or, without being timed, the person could do as many repetitions of the exercise as they could until they can't do any more. An example of a static test would be the bent-arm hang, in which the performer hangs from a bar until the designated hold time or until they become too weak to continue hanging.

Muscular endurance can be improved through both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Some examples would be cycling, step machines and elliptical trainers.

4.) Flexibility

Flexibility is the ability to move the joints or any group of joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons through their full normal range of motion without hindrance, discomfort or pain.

Flexibility is actually more important to physical fitness than people realize. Not only does flexibility play a huge role in performing many daily tasks, but maintaining or even increasing your flexibility is crucial to protecting your joints and keeping them healthy. Additionally, flexibility helps improve lower back health, reduce the occurrence and effects of arthritis, and reduce muscle tendon injuries.

Not everyone has the same flexibility or flexibility needs. Your flexibility shows you how supple you are. And when it comes to testing your flexibility, the most commonly used is the sit and reach test.

Stretching is the best way to improve flexibility. And most fitness experts recommend a daily routine of static stretches for each joint.

5.) Body composition

Body composition is the percentage of fat in your body compared to your lean body mass (muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, organs, etc.).

Body composition is a better indicator of your overall fitness level than body weight. So understand that your total body weight or what you see on your bathroom scale does not tell you how much fat or muscle mass you have.

Body composition helps determine health risks. Therefore, it is important to know your body composition and how it affects your overall fitness level. An optimal ratio of fat mass to lean mass is a clear indicator of good fitness.

Your body composition is a consequence of the extent to which you perform the other components of physical fitness. In other words, improving the other four components will have a positive effect on body composition, resulting in less body fat. Alternatively, if you have high body fat, you are considered overweight or possibly obese. This negatively impacts the other components of fitness as well as your daily performance, appearance and overall health.

There are various methods that can be used to calculate body composition. The best method is weighing underwater. However, due to the cost, this is not practical for the everyday person. By the way, if you can go to a university or other place that is set up for it, it's worth checking out. Therefore, the most common way to determine your body composition is to measure skinfolds - using skinfold calipers and taking measurements on specific areas of your body.

A regular program of aerobics and strength training can help you lose body fat and increase your muscle mass. thereby significantly improving your body composition and overall health and fitness.

In summary, you now know that fitness is not just about bench pressing a lot of weight, but also about how well you can do things like run a mile and a few other things. The key is that by understanding the 5 components of physical fitness, you can better assess your fitness level and determine what specific health and fitness goals you want to achieve.

Inspired by Ezine and Donald Holland