Components
of Fitness
What is Fitness?
Fitness is the ability to meet the demands of the
environment.
FITNESS is a blend of a number of different physical
qualities.
Physical Fitness is only one area of TOTAL fitness.
Other areas include mental, social and emotional
fitness.
Physical fitness is made up of 11 different parts or
components: 5 are Health-related and 6 are Skill
related.
From the list below decide which you would consider to be
health-related components of fitness and which you would
consider to be skill-related components.
Strength
Agility
Coordination
Speed
Muscular
Endurance
Flexibility
Balance
Cardiovascular
Body
Fitness
Composition
Reaction
Time
Power
Components of Fitness
Health-Related Fitness
Skill-Related Fitness
Body Composition
Agility
Cardiovascular
Endurance
Flexibility
Balance
Muscular Endurance
Power
Muscular Strength
Reaction Time
Coordination
Speed
The 5 Components of
Health-Related Fitness
The components of health-related fitness are a
basis from which to measure our general
wellbeing.
 Cardiovascular endurance
 Muscular Endurance
 Muscular Strength
 Flexibility
 Body Composition
Cardiovascular Endurance
Cardiovascular endurance is the ability to exercise the
whole body for prolonged periods of time.
 The heart and lungs work together to provide the
needed oxygen and fuel to the body during sustained
workloads.
 To improve cardiovascular endurance, choose an
activity in which your body has to work continuously
for a long period of time (i.e. jogging or swimming)
 Your heart rate determines the intensity of your
“cardiovascular endurance” workout (should be in the
range of 50-60% of MHR).
Muscular Endurance & Strength
Muscular endurance is the ability to exert force
continuously over an extended period.
 Endurance postpones the onset of fatigue so that
activity can be performed for lengthy periods.
Muscular Strength is the ability of a muscle or
muscle group to apply force and overcome
resistance.
 It is an important fitness component because it
facilitates the learning of motor skills.
Muscular Strength
Three different types of strength:
Static or Isometric: when FORCE is applied
to a NON-MOVING object.
Dynamic or Isotonic: which involves the
MOVEMENT of the muscles/joints etc.
against a MOVING object.
Explosive: which involves all the athlete’s
strength going into a QUICK MOVEMENT.
Flexibility
Flexibility is the range of movement through which a
joint or sequence of joints can move.
 Through stretching activities, the length of muscles,
tendons, and ligaments is increased. Such activities
should extend beyond the normal range of
movement to be effective.
 The ligaments and tendons retain their elasticity
through constant use.
 People who are flexible are less subject to injury in
sport, usually possess sound posture, and have
less lower back pain. Inactive individuals lose
flexibility, whereas frequent movement helps retain
the range of movement.
Flexibility
Three different types of stretching:
Static stretching: EXTENDING a limb beyond
its normal range. Position is held for at least 10
seconds.
Active/Dynamic stretching: extending a joint
beyond its normal limit, and repeats this
RHYTHMICALLY over a period of 20 seconds.
Passive stretching: joint flexibility is improved
by EXTERNAL FORCE caused by partners or
coaches who move the limb to its end position
and keep it there for a few seconds.
Flexibility
Guidelines for safe stretching:
 Do not bounce when stretching
 Be careful not to hold your breath when
stretching. Inhale and exhale.
 Maintain “soft” joints when stretching (do not
“lock” your joints or hyperextend joints when
stretching).
 Always hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds.
 The stretch should never hurt.
 Avoid pulling on your joints.
 Stretch only when muscles are warmed up
Body Composition
Body composition is the proportion of body fat to
lean body mass.
 Factors that affect your body composition:
family history, diet, metabolism, age, physical
activity, and gender.
What are the methods to measuring body
composition?
Body Composition
• Skinfold Calipers test
• Least accurate
• The tester pinches the skin
at the appropriate site to
raise a double layer of skin
and the underlying adipose
tissue, but not the muscle.
The calipers are then applied
1 cm below and at right
angles to the pinch, and a
reading in millimeters (mm)
taken two seconds later. The
mean of two measurements
should be taken. If the two
measurements differ greatly,
a third should then be done,
then the median value taken.
Body Composition
• Bioelectrical Impedance
Analysis (BIA)
• Somewhat accurate
• A method of measuring
body fat percent by
sending a low-level, safe,
electrical current through
the body. The current
travels at a different rate
through the various body
tissues, which then allows
a calculation of fat mass
and fat-free mass. This
feature is common in
many of today's at-home
digital scales.
Body Composition
• Whole Body
Plethysmography (Bod
Pod)
• Accurate
• Subject steps inside an
egg shaped "pod". The pod
measures the volume of air
you displace, allowing the
Bod Pod to measure your
overall density. We know
the density of fat, muscle,
bone and water. The
percentage of body fat can
be calculated from overall
body density.
Body Composition
• Underwater/Hydrostatic
Weighing
• Very Accurate
• Subject sits on a scale inside
a giant tank of water. After
exhaling all of the air from
your lungs, you pull yourself
underwater completely and sit
very still for 10 seconds while
the scale stabilizes. Volume is
calculated by measuring how
much water your body
displaces underwater. The
percentage of body fat can be
calculated from overall body
density.
Body Composition
• DEXA Scan
• Best-Most Accurate
• Subject lies on a table.
A small dose of
radiation passes
through the body
allowing X-rays to
distinguish fat from
muscle from bone.
The 6 Components of
Skill Related Fitness
Skill related fitness is the ability to perform
successfully in various games and sports.
Agility
Balance
Coordination
Power
Reaction Time
Speed
Agility, Coordination &
Reaction Time
Agility is the ability to change direction quickly
and accurately.
Coordination is the ability to use the body and
senses together to produce smooth efficient
movements.
Reaction Time is how quickly your brain can
respond to a stimulus and initiate a response.
Balance
Balance is the ability to maintain equilibrium while
stationary, or moving.
Two different types of balance:
• Static balance: the equilibrium is maintained in a
FIXED POSITION, usually while standing on one
foot.
• Dynamic balance: the equilibrium must be
maintained while performing a task which
involves MOVEMENT (i.e. walking the beam).
Power & Speed
Power is the product of strength and speed. When
we perform a task as quickly and as forcefully as we
can, the result is powerful.
Speed is the quickness with which one can move the
body from one point to another.
• Most sports and activities require some form of
speed.