Wayzata Physical Education
Study Guide – Components & Principles of Fitness
“If it is to be, it is up to me…” If you are going to bring about change in the way you
look and feel, it is up to you!
Vocabulary/Terminology:
Agility – Ability to change the position of your body and control the movement of
your body
Balance – Ability to keep an upright posture while either standing still or moving
Body Composition – Ratio of fat to muscle, bone, and other tissue
Cardiovascular fitness – Ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply
oxygen to muscles during exercise
Coordination – Integration of eye, hand, and foot movements
FIT – The three ways to achieve overload in a physical fitness program
Flexibility – Range of movement possible at various joints
Frequency – How often one exercises
Intensity – The degree to which one should exercise to improve fitness
Muscular Endurance – Ability to use muscles for long periods of time
Muscular Strength – The ability of muscles to exert a force one time
Power – Ability to do strength performances at a rapid pace
Principle of Overload – Exposing the muscles, joints, and cardiovascular and
respiratory systems to more work and stress than is normally experienced
Principles of Progression – A progressive increase in the level of exercise in order to
sustain improvement in physical fitness
Principles of Specificity – The performance of specific exercises in order to improve
specific components of physical fitness in specific body parts
Reaction Time – Amount of time it takes to get moving
Speed – Ability to cover a distance in a short time
Time – How long one exercises to improve fitness
Concepts/Points to Ponder:
- Health-Related Fitness Components:
o Contribute to the prevention of disease and the promotion of health
o Should be a concern for everyone, regardless of age
o Are associated with how well the systems of your body operate
o The Presidential Physical Fitness tests we do in class each test HealthRelated Fitness Components
-Fitness Assessments:
o Pre-tests and Post-tests
o Help you identify your strengths and weaknesses
o Provide you with a basis for setting realistic goals
o Though many do compare scores with one another, this is not
necessarily a purpose of the fitness assessment
- Developing Personal Fitness Goals:
o Individuals improve at different rates
o When you develop goals, it is essential that you use the information
regarding your present level of fitness
o Pre-tests help develop goals
o Testing should be done throughout so adjustments can be made and
effectiveness of fitness plans can be determined
- Principle of Specificity:
o Refers to the specific exercises that improve specific components of
physical fitness in specific body parts
o Flexibility exercises will increase flexibility but not necessarily
improve cardiovascular fitness
o Each physical activity requires specific demands and doing the
activity is the best way to train for it.
- Scoring below the health standard in a specific fitness component tell us:
o We can increase the length of time of our exercise sessions
o We can increase the intensity of our workouts
o We can increase the amount of time during the week that we take to
exercise