JUNIOR AND SENIOR HEALTH-RELATED FITNESS STUDY GUIDE
Physical Fitness - The ability of your body systems to work together efficiently which
means you are able to do daily activities with the least amount of effort. A fit person is able
to carry out the typical activities of living, such as work or school, and still have enough
energy to enjoy leisure activities.
Health – Early definitions of health focused on illness. Health was nothing more than the
absence of disease. As medical experts received better training, they began to focus on the
prevention of illness and disease. Its definition has been expanded to include the
prevention of illness or disease.
Wellness – A state of being that enables you to reach your fullest potential. It includes
your social, emotional, physical and spiritual health.
Physical Fitness is made up of eleven parts; five parts are health related and
six parts are skill related.
Health-related fitness – Helps you stay healthy
Skill-related fitness – Helps you perform well in sports and activities
HEALTH-RELATED PARTS OF FITNESS
1. Cardiovascular fitness: The ability to exercise your entire body for long periods of
time. Cardiovascular fitness requires a strong heart, healthy lungs, and clear
blood vessels to supply the cells in your body with the oxygen they need.
2. Strength: The amount of force your muscles can produce or exert. Strength is often
measured by how much weight you can lift. People with good strength are able to
perform daily tasks efficiently.
3. Muscular Endurance: The ability to use your muscles many times without tiring.
People with good muscular endurance are likely to have better posture and fewer
back problems. They are also better able to resist fatigue.
4. Flexibility: The ability to use your joints fully through a wide range of motion. You
are flexible when your muscles are long enough and your joints are free enough to
allow movement. People with good flexibility have fewer sore or injured muscles.
5. % Body Fat: The percentage of weight that is made up of fat when compared to
other body tissue, such as bone and muscle. People who are in a healthy range of
body fatness are more likely to avoid illness and even have lower death rates than
those outside the healthy range. Note: The extreme ranges are the most
dangerous; too little body fat, like too much, can cause health problems.
Healthy body fat ranges are listed below:
Gender
Female
Male
Under 30 Years of Age
17-24%
14-20%
Over 30 Years of Age
20-27%
17-23%
UNDERSTANDING BODY COMPOSITION
Weight: Total body weight includes bones, muscle, fat, water, etc.
BMI (Body Mass Index): Correlates physical stature and body weight with mortality
ratios i.e. diabetes, cardio-pulmonary disease, cancer, etc. BMI is recognized as a valid
assessment tool in identifying obese individuals
BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate measures the energy expended by the body to maintain
normal functions such as respiration and circulation.
Impedance: The impedance value reflects how hard a mild electrical signal has to
work to travel through the body. Lean mass (containing water and electrolytes)
conducts the current, while fat mass acts as a resistor to the current.
Fat Mass: Actual fat mass in the body.
FFM: Fat Free Mass is comprised of muscle, bone, tissue, water, and all other fat free
mass in the body. A healthy ratio for Fat Free Mass to Fat Mass is approximately 5:1 for
females, and 7:1 for males. Generally speaking, males carry more muscle than females,
therefore they will report a higher FFM.
TBW: Total Body Water reflects the amount of water in the body. To monitor
hydration level, use the following formula:
TBW/Weight x 100 = Hydration.
Women should be approximately 50-60% hydrated
Males should be approximately 60-70% hydrated
*Note: B/C hydration levels fluctuate, testing should occur at the same time of day
whenever possible.