4 Components of Fitness
Cardiovascular Fitness
A health-related component of physical fitness that relates to ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems (the heart, the blood vessels, and lungs) to supply oxygen during sustained physical activity.
Cardiovascular fitness is also referred to as cardiovascular endurance, aerobic fitness and cardio respiratory fitness. Commonly administered field tests include the mile run, the 12 minute run, the 1 mile run, the mile walk, the PACER run for children and various bicycle, step, and treadmill tests. Examples: walking/running, cycling, rowing, stair climbing, dancing.
What is aerobic exercise?
Aerobic means oxygen. Your muscles are working in an oxygen rich state. After 12 minutes it causes your body to produce FAT-burning enzymes. An aerobic exercise is one that fits the following four requirements.
- Is steady, nonstop.
- Lasts twelve minutes minimum.
- Has a comfortable pace.
- Uses the muscles of the lower body.
An easy way to measure if your training too hard/fast is a simple talk test. If you can't carry on a conversation without huffing and puffing for breath you need to slow down. If you can carry on a conversation without stopping every now and then for a breath then you need to go a little faster. You have to be doing some work. Your heart rate and your breathing need to be elevated.
What is anaerobic exercise?
Anaerobic means lack of oxygen. Your muscles are working in an oxygen deprived state. This causes your body to produce sugar-burning enzymes. You are expending energy faster than your body can replace it by metabolizing oxygen. An anaerobic exercise is any activity that fails to meet the above 4 requirements. An aerobic activity can become anaerobic if the heart rate is elevated above the training zone for a long period of time. Any start/stop activities would qualify. Examples: tennis, football, sprinting, skiing, weight training.
Flexibility
A health-related component of physical fitness that relates to the range of motion available at a joint.
Some experts specify that flexibility requires range of motion without discomfort or pain (Howley and Franks, 1997). Flexibility is specific to each joint of the body, thus there is no general measurement of flexibility as there is for cardiovascular fitness. Flexibility is typically measured in the field with tests such as the sit and reach.
Muscular Endurance
A health-related component of physical fitness that relates to the muscle's ability to continue to perform without fatigue.
Like flexibility, muscular endurance is specific in nature. For true assessment of muscular endurance it would be necessary to test each major muscle group of the body. Lab and field tests of muscular endurance are similar and are based on the number of repetitions that can be performed by the specific muscle group being tested. Examples: repetitions of push-ups or abdominal crunches.
Muscular Strength
A health-related component of physical fitness that relates to the ability of the muscle to exert force.
Like flexibility and muscular endurance, strength is specific in nature. For true assessment it would be necessary to test each major muscle group of the body. Lab and field tests are similar and involve the assessment of one repetition maximum (the maximum amount of resistance you can overcome one time). Examples: Broad jump, vertical jump, 1RM bench press.