Table of Contents
Definition: Elements Of Physical Fitness
Fitness refers to the set of abilities, skills, and body development combinations that allow us to perform a wide range of activities. Being fit for one group of activities does not make you fit for another, such as sports. For example, someone who plays football well may not play cricket as per the standards.
This is because his body and mind did not exercise the skills required for cricket as he did for football. Therefore, fitness programs are defined according to different components of fitness, such as agility (which falls under performance-related fitness) or body composition (which falls under health-related fitness).
To know and understand your body, its mechanism, and its shortcomings, it is important to understand the different elements of this natural machine. Medical science has defined the different components of fitness into two categories:
- Components of health-related fitness
- Performance-related components of fitness
What are the five health-related components of physical fitness:
Elements of fitness associated with health are often exceptional for life. In other words, the various components of fitness that are essential in carrying out our daily activities are health-related components of fitness. Among the components of health-related fitness:
- Cardiovascular health
- muscular strength
- muscular endurance
- Flexibility
- Body composition
- Power
1. Cardiovascular Fitness
Cardiovascular fitness or endurance is perhaps the most important component of all. The body can deliver oxygen to muscles or parts of the body that are under stress or pressure. In other words, the ability of the brain and lungs to deliver oxygenated blood to all parts of the body that currently need more oxygen because they are functioning.
For example, during running, the calf muscles, stomach muscles, and forearms experience the most stress. Cardiovascular endurance refers to the delivery of freshly oxygenated blood to all required parts of the body without fatigue. This fitness is increased through the proper exercise of the heart and lungs. Running and swimming are the best ways to increase your cardio endurance.
2. Muscular strength
Contrary to the general idea, muscular strength is the total amount of force a muscle can produce at one of its maximum efforts. Muscle strength is calculated when it is in its most contracted state. The extent of the muscle sutures and the ability of the nerves to stimulate the muscle sutures are determined by the force of the muscle. Strong muscular strength is not just about how much weight you can carry at a given time. It’s about the overall muscular strength of your body, your body alignment, and so on. Muscular strength is increasingly associated with muscular endurance.
3. Muscular Endurance
The ability of a muscle or muscle group to withstand intense contractions over a long period is called muscular endurance. You may have noticed on the first day after you start exercising, that you are experiencing muscle aches and pains all over your body. This is because the muscles in your body are not used to such contractions and expansions over long periods. With age, muscular endurance and strength begin to decline, and several components of fitness are required to prevent this. Low levels of muscular strength and endurance lead to problems with the musculoskeletal system as well as joint pain.
4. Flexibility
The maximum ability or range of motion at a particular joint in the body is called flexibility. This fitness component is sometimes shared by performance-related items as well. Our body parts move around the joints. Movements appear, horizontal and vertical, and their angles depend on the flexibility of each body.
For example, when you stretch, your legs try to make 180 degrees between them. The muscles attached to the joints have a specific angle to which they can move. Increasing it helps with your flexibility. The exercises of daily living that end up being simpler with enough flexibility are tying shoes, bending down to pick things up from the floor, putting on top clothes, and brushing and combing hair.
5. Body Composition
This fitness item is currently considered one of the most valuable. It is the ratio of body tissue-free mass that includes the mass of organs, muscles, and bones to the amount of body fat. This ratio is known as the body mass index and is a measure of fitness. People with optimal body composition are usually the most physically fit people because excess fat increases the risk of heart disease and obstructions. The accumulation of excess fat under the tissues leads to decreased blood circulation or sometimes excessive pressure on the organs resulting in internal bleeding in the organs. Thus maintaining this element of fitness is of utmost importance.
6. Strength
This physical component is also shared in performance-related items. Strength, as defined in the Elements of Athletic Fitness, refers to the maximum force a muscle (or group of muscles) can apply in the shortest possible period. Our body strength is not muscular strength as the name might suggest. Each muscle can exert its maximum strength in the shortest period. Strength is understood when we are running or swimming and is closely related to cardiovascular endurance.
Maintaining these elements of fitness should help keep our bodies in shape and prevent deadly diseases, the rates of which are increasing exponentially all over the world. Health-related elements give our bodies good posture, and increase our overall attractiveness, our organs, muscles, tissues, and bones work in greater communication and we are committed to showing physical fitness.
Performance-related components of fitness
The components of physical fitness fall into performance-related categories. Performance-related items refer to the set of fitness items and definitions that relate to some specific task, for example, sports. While sport is an umbrella term, these physical items are specific to specific types of sports. For example, balance is more essential for gymnasts while strength and speed are more essential for soccer or baseball players.
