Health-Related Components of
Fitness & Benefits of Physical
Activity
8th Grade Health & Fitness
Week 2
UNIT GOALS
Students will understand the physical,
social, and mental benefits of physical
activity
 Students will understand the 5
components of fitness and their
relationship to overall health
 Students will understand that being fit in all
5 components of fitness is necessary to
live a healthy and productive life

Student Objectives
By the end of this unit, I will be able
to…
1.
2.
3.
Describe the physical, social, and mental
benefits of physical activity
Explain the 5 components of fitness and
how they relate to health, performance,
and appearance
Describe how the 5 components of
fitness can be assessed and how I can
apply them to everyday life
Key Words
 Component
of
Fitness
 Body Composition
 Cardiorespiratory
Endurance
 Flexibility
 Resistance Training
•
•
•
•
•
•
Muscular
Endurance
Static Stretches
Dynamic
Stretches
Aerobic
Anaerobic
Benefit
What does this word mean?
COMPONENT (noun)
A constituent part; element;
ingredient.
Synonyms: piece, part, section
The five components of fitness
are important for physical
health.
Big words
are
SCARY!!!
Understanding “Component”
What are the
components of
a peanut butter
and jelly
sandwich?
Benefits of Physical Activity
1. Physical
2. Mental
3. Social
Key Word
BENEFIT (noun & verb)
 (noun) something that is advantageous
or good; an advantage
 (verb) to do good to; be of service to
There are physical, mental, and social
benefits of regular physical activity.
Understanding Key Word “Benefit”
What are the
benefits of
having a
birthday?
Student Introduction
1.
2.
3.


List the 5 Components of Fitness and the
definition for each component
List 2 things you learned
List 2 questions you still have
Be ready to share responses with the class
Finished? Sit quietly until further instruction.
Cardiorespiratory
Endurance
Muscular
Endurance
Body Composition
FITNESS
Flexibility
Muscular Strength
Component of Fitness #1
Cardiovascular System + Respiratory
System= Cardiorespiratory System
CARDIO + RESPIRATORY
Heart
and
Blood
Vessels
Nose,
mouth,
trachea,
lungs, &
diaphram
Cardiorespiratory
Endurance
The ability of the heart, blood,
blood vessels, and lungs to
supply enough oxygen and
necessary fuel to the muscles during
long periods of physical activity.
Cardiovascular System Recognition
 Worksheet 3.75
 Complete together in class
heart
veins
arteries
Capillary bed
Example Exercises for Improving the
Cardiorespiratory System
How do you train your
cardiorespiratory system
to work better?
Types of Physical Activity
Aerobic vs Anaerobic Exercise
Aerobic Exercise

“Aerobic” means “with oxygen”

Aerobic exercises are long, uninterrupted (no
rest) periods of physical activity at a low to
moderate level of intensity.

The heart is able to supply the muscles with the
oxygen needed.
Examples of Aerobic
Exercise:
Distance running,
cycling, and lap
swimming
Anaerobic Exercise

Means “without oxygen”

Anaerobic exercises are short and performed
at a high intensity

The heart cannot supply blood and oxygen
as fast as muscles use it.
Examples of Anaerobic
Activities
 Football
 Basketball
 Baseball
 Sprinting
 Weight
lifting
Does that mean that anaerobic
exercise is bad?
Absolutely NOT!
However: It is important to know
that aerobic exercise has been
shown to have more health
benefits than anaerobic exercise.
Benefits of Having Cardiorespiratory
Endurance

(Physical) Stronger heart = efficient heart
 Heart
can beat at a slower rate and circulate same amount
of blood

(Physical) Efficient heart = longer time to play!
 Allows
a person to exercise and play more often for longer
periods of time without getting tired

(Physical) Endurance training = improves
appearance
 Body

will burn more fat and increase muscle tone
(Mental) Improved appearance = sense of well-being
 Increased

self-confidence and self-image
(Social) Opportunity to hang out with others
Cardiovascular fitness also
reduces risk factors associated
with…
 Heart
disease
 Type II diabetes
 Heart attacks
 Strokes
Assessment Tools:
Measuring Cardiovacscular Fitness
What fitness test have we performed that
measure your cardiovascular fitness levels?
Were you in the Healthy Fitness Zones?
Circulatory System & Exercise
COMPONENT OF FITNESS # 2
MUSCULAR
STRENGTH
Muscular Strength
The ability of the muscle or muscles to
push or pull with its total force.
Muscular Strength & Endurance
Strength comes before
endurance. Before a brick
layer can stack hundreds of
bricks a day, they must
have the muscular strength
to lift the first brick.
Example Exercises for Improving
Muscular Strength
Resistance Training- Any exercise that places
additional force against the muscle:
 Pull-ups
 Push-ups
 Curl-ups
 Weight Lifting
 8 reps, heavier weight
Measuring Muscular Strength
“Maxing out” is one way to test
muscular strength, but it is not
developmentally appropriate
for middle school students.
Benefits of Muscular Strength & Endurance
 (Physical) Improves bone density
 Aging decreases strength in bones
(osteoperosis)
 (Physical) Enhances physical performance
 Faster and stronger for longer!
 (Physical) Improves physical appearance and
body composition
 Muscles act as a tiny furnace that burns fat =
more calories burned
 (Mental & Social) Improves self-confidence
 (Social) Opportunity to hang out with others
MUSCULAR
ENDURANCE
Muscular Endurance
The ability of a person to contract
the muscle many times without
getting tired.
Example Exercises for Improving your
Muscular Endurance


Resistance Training: any
exercise that places
additional force against the
muscle or muscle group
Resistance training with a
high number of reps (12)
and low weight
Benefits of Muscular Strength & Endurance
 (Physical) Improves bone density
 Aging decreases strength in bones
(osteoperosis)
 (Physical) Enhances physical performance
 Faster and stronger for longer!
 (Physical) Improves physical appearance and
body composition
 Muscles act as a tiny furnace that burns fat =
more calories burned
 (Mental & Social) Improves self-confidence
 (Social) Opportunity to hang out with others
Measuring Muscular Endurance
What test have we performed that measure
your muscular endurance?
You know what they say…
“If you don’t use them, you’ll lose
them!”
Inactivity causes you to lose
strength over time.
When a person is able to move their
joints through full range of motion (ROM).
ROM is the amount
of movement one can
make in a joint.
Benefits of Flexibility
 (Physical) Injury prevention
(Physical & Mental) Prevents postexercise pain
 (Mental & Social)Helps relieve
emotional tension
 (Social) Opportunity to hang out with
others

Examples Exercises for Improving
your Flexibility
 Yoga
 Static
Stretching (holding a stretch
in place)
 Dynamic Stretching (movement
while stretching)
Leg
Involves moving
swings
parts of the
Arm circles
body
continuously
Twists
while gradually
“Frankenstein”
increasing
walks
reach
•
•
•
Standing/sitt
ing quad
stretch
Hamstring
stretch
Back Stretch
Involves stretching
a muscle to the
point of mild
discomfort by
holding it in a
maximal stretch
for an extended
period
Measuring Flexibility
What test have we performed that measure
your flexibility?
Body Fat/Body Composition
Can be defined as the combination of fat
free mass and fat mass.
Body Composition: all of the tissues that
together make up the body: bone, muscle,
skin, fat, and body organs
Factors affecting body
composition
1.
2.
Number of calories eaten (energy in)
Amount of activity performed and calories
burned (energy out)
A healthy diet and physical activity is the best
approach to maintaining a healthy level of body
composition.
Your Body Needs Healthy Levels
of Fat to Function!
Fat is essential for…
 Insulation of organs
 Absorption of vitamins
 Nerve conduction
 Energy source
Benefit to having healthy body
composition
(Physical) Reduce risk of…
– Heart disease, type II diabetes, high
blood pressure, strokes, certain types of
cancer
 (Physical) Improved physical appearance
 (Mental & Social) Improved selfconfidence

Measuring Body Fat
Skinfold Calipers
Healthy Ranges:
15-18% for men
22-25% for women
Bioelectric Impedance
This means that 15-18% or 22-25% of
a person’s body is made up of fat
Alternative Ways of Assessing
Healthy Weight
Body Mass Index (BMI)
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_bmi/ab
out_childrens_bmi.html#What%20is%20BMI
Examples of Physical Benefits of Exercise
Strong muscles and bones
 Healthy cardiorespiratory system (heart
and lungs)
 Healthy body composition (more
lean/fat-free mass vs. fat mass)

Can you think
of any others?
www.health-lesson-plans-teacher.com
Examples of Mental Benefits
Exercise makes you feel energetic
 It relieves stress
 Makes you feel happy!
 It gives you self-confidence
 Improves memory
Can you
 Improves academic
think of any
performance
others?

www.health-lesson-plans-teacher.com
Brain Rules by John Medina

http://www.brainrules.net/exercise?scene=
Examples of Social Benefits



Exercise allows you to meet new
people
Exercising with friends may motivate
you
Provides opportunity for competition
www.health-lesson-plans-teacher.com
Components of Fitness:
Mini Booklet

6 squares of paper
–

(1) Title page with Name (5) Components of
Fitness
Information to include:
–
–
–
–
Component name
Definition of component
Example exercise to improve component
On the back: Draw a picture that would help you
to remember the component