5 Components of Fitness

Cardiovascular Endurance The body’s ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs and the ability to utilize them over sustained periods of time. This component is illustrated during long- distance running or swimming.

Muscular Strength The ability of your muscles to exert force. This component is illustrated when lifting or moving heavy objects such as doing a weightlifting workout. In our daily lives, we need modest levels of strength to be able to perform everyday physical tasks like lifting, moving, carrying, etc.

Muscular Endurance The ability of your muscles to exert force or to perform repetitive movements over prolonged periods of time. This component can be tested by doing sit ups or push-ups, Common testing for muscular endurance can be dynamic or static. Another example would be the flexed-arm hang whereby the performer hangs on a bar until the designated stopping time or until they become too weak to continue hanging.

Flexibility The ability to move our joints and muscles through their full range of motion. This can be seen when doing stretches or splits. Not only does flexibility play a big role in performing many daily tasks, but maintaining or even increasing your flexibility is critical to protecting your joints and keeping them healthy.

Body Composition The amount of fat on a person as compared to the net body mass is known as the body composition. There are several ways to map the body mass on a person and BMI is one significant index for this. This refers to the ratio of lean muscle to fats in the body. A good fitness program should include each of these five components of health-related fitness.