Cardiovascular Endurance
Cardiovascular endurance can be defined as the component which helps to determine if the
heart and lungs are working in coordination. It shows the ability of the body to deliver
oxygen and nutrients to tissues and to remove wastes.
What is Cardiovascular Endurance?
To better understand the terminology, you should know that cardio- refers to the “heart”,
vascular means related to blood vessels, and pulmonary means related to the lungs.
Cardiovascular endurance is the efficiency with which the body (the heart and lungs)
delivers oxygen and nutrients to the required working muscles and transports waste
products from the cells over a sustained period of time. Or to put it another way, it's the
ability of your heart and lungs to work together to provide the necessary oxygen and fuel to
your body without quickly reaching a high level of fatigue and tiredness. You can define
cardiorespiratory endurance as the ability of the heart to pump blood rich oxygen for the
functioning of your muscles. It helps to determine whether the heart and lungs are working
in coordination. The ability to remain fit without feeling tired or fatigue during physical
exercise measures the physical fitness of a person.
Why is Cardiovascular Endurance Important?
Cardiovascular endurance is very important because the more fit your cardiovascular
systems becomes, the healthier your lungs, heart and vascular system will be. If you
demonstrate high levels of cardiovascular endurance during exercise, you also have a more
efficient heart, lungs, and vascular system while at rest. This means less stress is put on your
heart and lungs around the clock, enabling you to avoid illness and live a long, healthy life.
Many argue that cardiovascular endurance is the most important of the 5 components to
physical fitness.
How can you improve Cardiovascular Endurance?
To improve your cardiorespiratory endurance, try activities that keep your heart rate elevated
at a safe level for a sustained length of time such as walking, swimming, or bicycling. The
activity you choose does not have to be strenuous to improve your cardiorespiratory
endurance. Start slowly with an activity you enjoy, and gradually work up to a more intense
pace.
EXERCISE:
Swimming, cycling, walking, running, jogging and aerobics are the classical examples of
cardiovascular exercises. Try them to improve your cardiovascular fitness level.
ASSESSMENT:
A Max VO2 test in the laboratory setting is the best measure of cardiovascular fitness. Field
tests include the 12 minute run, the mile run, the mile walk, the PACER run for children and
various bicycle, step, and treadmill tests.
Muscular Strength
Muscular strength is measured by maximum amount of strength a muscle has while lifting
or during an exertion. In short, muscular strength is the ability of the muscle to exert
strength during a workout or an activity. It is the capability of the muscle to lift the weight.
The common definition is "the ability to exert a force against a resistance."
What is Muscular Strength?
Muscular strength is the maximum amount of force (weight or heavy resistance) a muscle or
muscle group can generate in a single effort to the point that no more repetitions can be done
without rest. Muscular strength is quite the opposite of cardiovascular endurance in regards
to the fact that cardiovascular endurance is measured over a certain period of time. While
on the other hand, muscular strength is measured in one repetition.
Why is MuscularStrength Important?
In our daily lives, we need modest levels of strength to be able to perform everyday physical
tasks like lifting, moving, carrying, etc. The primary reason why muscular strength is
important is its effect on activities of daily living (ADLs). Efficiency and safety during ADLs
are two of the most important reasons for becoming proficient in all 5 components of
physical fitness. At the very least, to be physically fit in the muscular strength department,
you should demonstrate the basic muscular strength needed to efficiently do your activities
of daily living (ADLs). While ADLs vary from person to person, you can also consider
activities such as push-ups, pull-ups, and carrying heavy objects to be ADLs. Each of the 5
components of fitness depends on the others. Poor muscular strength can negatively affect
aerobic fitness and muscular endurance.
How can you improve Muscular Strength?
The key to making your muscles stronger is working them against resistance, whether that be
from weights or gravity. If you want to gain muscle strength, try exercises such as lifting
weights or rapidly taking the stairs.
EXERCISE:
A balanced and regular fitness regimen helps to increase the ability of muscles to exert force
and sustain contraction. A regular workout will make your muscles stronger and increase
your overall strength. The physical fitness of muscle strength could be improved through
exercise such as lifting weights. Weight training exercises- push ups, pull ups, biceps curls,
pectoral fly, leg extensions, back extension, etc.
ASSESSMENT:
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). 1RM tests are typically
conducted on resistance machines. Strength can also be assessed using dynamometers.
Strength can be measured isometrically (static contractions) or isotonically (dynamic
contractions).
Muscular Endurance
Muscular endurance is defined as the ability of the body to perform repeated
exercises without getting tired. If a person can perform more number of repetitions
of a particular strength training exercise, then it can be said that he/she has good
muscular endurance.
What is Muscular Endurance?
Muscular endurance is the ability of the muscle to continue to perform without fatigue. Or, to
put it simplistically, it's how long your muscles can do something before getting too exhausted
to finish.
Why is MuscularEndurance Important?
Muscular endurance is the bridge between muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance.
In order to have a fit cardiovascular system, you must demonstrate muscular endurance.
Muscular endurance is sometimes confused with muscular strength. The ability of the
muscle to perform an action without feeling fatigue is known as muscular endurance. It is the
ability of muscles, whether in a group or separated to sustain repeated contractions against
resistance for an extended period of time. This is related to muscular strength and
cardiovascular endurance. If a person can perform more number of repetitions of a particular
strength training exercise, then it shows- that person has good muscular endurance.
How can you improve Muscular Endurance?
To improve your muscle endurance, try cardiorespiratory activities such as walking,
jogging, bicycling, or dancing.
EXERCISE:
The types of endurance are aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, speed endurance and
strength endurance. A sound basis of aerobic endurance is fundamental for all events.
To increase the fitness level of muscular endurance, try Strength training exercises such as
running, jogging, cross-training on an elliptical machine, etc.
ASSESSMENT:
Each major muscle group of the body is tested to check the endurance. Lab and field tests of
muscular endurance are similar. They are based on the number of repetitions that can be
performed by the specific muscle group being tested. Example: repetitions of push-ups or
abdominal curls. Muscular endurance can be measured isometrically (static contractions) or
isotonically (dynamic contractions).
Flexibility
Flexibility can be defined as the component which checks the ability of the joints in
the body to move to their full range of motion.
What is 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.
Why is Flexibility Important?
To some degree, your flexibility determines the efficiency of your muscles. Increased
flexibility has also been associated with decreased risk of acute and chronic
(overuse) injuries.
Poor flexibility can directly affect cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength, and
muscular endurance. Flexibility can include extramuscular factors, such as range of
motion at a joint, as well as intramuscular factors, such as hypertonicity (knots)
within the muscles themselves.
How can you improve Flexibility?
If you want to improve your flexibility, try activities that lengthen the muscles or a
basic stretching program.
EXERCISE:
A regular workout session will ensure that you move your joints and muscles to
their fullest extent and hence, it will increase the flexibility of these joints and your
overall body.
The exercises such as stretching, yoga, Pilates and swimming would help to improve
the physical flexibility.
ASSESSMENT:
Flexibility requires range of motion without discomfort or pain and it is specific to
each joint of the body. It is typically measured in the lab using measurement devices
such as a goniometer, flexometer. In the field, tests such as the sit and reach and the
zipper are performed.
Body Composition
To know your fitness level you need to understand your body composition. The reason is
body composition directly relates to the overall fitness level. Body composition is the
component which considers the individual body type, according to the height, weight, frame
size and the ratio of the fat mass to lean muscle mass. The overall physical level of an
individual depends on their body composition.
What is Body Composition?
Body composition is the percentage of fat in your body compared to your lean body
mass (muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, organs, etc.). The easiest and most common
way to look at body composition is with a two-compartment analysis, which
compares the amount of body fat you have with your lean body mass, which includes
muscle, bone, water, and organs.
Why is Body Composition Important?
Body composition is useful in helping to determine health risks. Therefore, knowing
your body composition and how it relates to your overall fitness level is essential. An
optimal ratio of fat mass to lean mass is a clear indicator of good fitness.
Having a poor body composition has many negative physical and psychological effects,
such as increased chance of chronic diseases and depression. As mentioned previously,
improper exercise habits and poor lifestyle choices can not only lead to being
overweight or obese, but also decreased bone mass associated with osteopenia and
osteoporosis.
How can you improve your Body Composition?
You could say body composition depends on the other components of physical
fitness. Focusing on the other four aspects of physical fitness will naturally lead to
improved body composition over time.
EXERCISE:
A regular program involving aerobic exercise and strength training can help you decrease
your body fat and increase your muscle mass; and thereby, significantly improving your
body composition and general overall health and fitness.
ASSESSMENT:
There are several methods that can be used to calculate body composition. The best method
is underwater weighing. But due to the expense, this isn't practical for the everyday person.
Incidentally, if you can go to a university or some other place that is set up to do it, it would
be well worth your time to check it out. Therefore, the most common method of
determining your body composition is skinfold readings - using skinfold calipers and taking
measurements from certain areas of your body.