COMPONENTS OF HEALTH RELATED FITNESS

Components of Health Related Fitness Cardiovascular endurance Muscular Endurance Muscular Strength Flexibility Body Composition (RED is input and GREEN is output)

What is Health? Health does not mean the absence of sickness. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Physical Activity helps : Your physical well-being Your mental well-being. Your social well-being.

What is Fitness? Fitness is the ability to meet the demands of the environment. FITNESS is a blend of a number of different physical qualities. Physical Fitness is only one area of TOTAL fitness. Other areas include mental, social and emotional fitness. Physical fitness is made up of 11 different parts or components: 5 are Health-related and 6 are Skill related.

Cardiovascular Endurance Cardiovascular endurance is the ability to exercise the whole body for prolonged periods of time. The heart and lungs work together to provide the needed oxygen and fuel to the body during sustained workloads. To improve cardiovascular endurance, choose an activity in which your body has to work continuously for a long period of time (i.e. jogging or swimming) Your heart rate determines the intensity of your “cardiovascular endurance” workout (should be in the range of 50-60% of MHR).

Muscular Endurance & Strength Muscular endurance is the ability to exert force continuously over an extended period. Endurance postpones the onset of fatigue so that activity can be performed for lengthy periods. Muscular Strength is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to apply force and overcome resistance. It is an important fitness component because it facilitates the learning of motor skills.

Muscular Strength Three different types of strength: Static or Isometric: when FORCE is applied to a NON-MOVING object. Dynamic or Isotonic: which involves the MOVEMENT of the muscles/joints etc. against a MOVING object. Explosive: which involves all the athlete’s strength going into a QUICK MOVEMENT.

Flexibility Flexibility is the range of movement through which a joint or sequence of joints can move. Through stretching activities, the length of muscles, tendons, and ligaments is increased. Such activities should extend beyond the normal range of movement to be effective. The ligaments and tendons retain their elasticity through constant use. People who are flexible are less subject to injury in sport, usually possess sound posture, and have less lower back pain. Inactive individuals lose flexibility, whereas frequent movement helps retain the range of movement.

Flexibility Three different types of stretching: Static stretching: EXTENDING a limb beyond its normal range. Position is held for at least 10 seconds. Active/Dynamic stretching: extending a joint beyond its normal limit, and repeats this RHYTHMICALLY over a period of 20 seconds. Passive stretching: joint flexibility is improved by EXTERNAL FORCE caused by partners or coaches who move the limb to its end position and keep it there for a few seconds.

Flexibility Guidelines for safe stretching: Do not bounce when stretching Be careful not to hold your breath when stretching. Inhale and exhale. Maintain “soft” joints when stretching (do not “lock” your joints or hyperextend joints when stretching). Always hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds. The stretch should never hurt. Avoid pulling on your joints. Stretch only when muscles are warmed up

Body Composition Body composition is the proportion of body fat to lean body mass. Factors that affect your body composition: family history, diet, metabolism, age, physical activity, and gender. What are the methods to measuring body composition?