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A Guide to Physical Activity: 1.7 Components of Physical Fitness

A Guide to Physical Activity
1.7 Components of Physical Fitness
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table of contents
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Table Of Contents
  5. Acknowledgements
  6. Chapter 1: Physical Activity Foundations
    1. 1.1 An Introduction to Physical Activity Foundations
    2. 1.2 Physical Activity Terminology
    3. 1.3 Measures of Physical Activity
    4. 1.4 Exploring the Benefits of Physical Activity
    5. 1.5 Physical Activity Guidelines and Recommendations
    6. 1.6 Physical Activity in the United States: Trends
    7. 1.7 Components of Physical Fitness
    8. 1.8 Training Principles
    9. 1.9 Conclusion
  7. Chapter 2: The Benefits of Physical Activity
    1. 2.1 An Introduction to the Benefits of Physical Activity
    2. 2.2 Physiological Benefits
    3. 2.3 Cognitive Benefits
    4. 2.4 Psychological Benefits
    5. 2.5 Barriers to Physical Activity
    6. 2.6 Engaging in Healthy Behavior Change
    7. 2.7 Conclusion
  8. Chapter 3: Nutrition for Health and Physical Activity
    1. 3.1 An Introduction to Nutrition for Health and Physical Activity
    2. 3.2 Nutrition 101
    3. 3.3 Energy Requirements and Dietary Health
    4. 3.4 Dietary Recommendations and Nutrition Labels
    5. 3.5 Nutrition for Physical Activity
    6. 3.6 Barriers to Healthy Nutrition
    7. 3.7 Dietary Resources
    8. 3.8 Conclusion

1.7 Components of Physical Fitness

Undoubtedly, there is a need to reduce physical activity and health disparities, and improve adherence to physical activity recommendations within the United States population. One strategy to improve adherence to the aforementioned physical activity guidelines is to ensure individuals are focusing upon a wide variety of mechanisms which enhance overall physical fitness, including the health-related and performance-related components.

Physical fitness components include: cardiorespiratory endurance, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.Physical fitness has been previously defined as “a specific set of attributes possessed by an individual, which allows her/him to perform physical activity with energy, and in the absence of undue fatigue.” While physical fitness encompasses a wide range of physical attributes (components), five health-related components are primarily discussed in the physical activity literature. These physical fitness components gauge approximations of an individual’s health status, and include: cardiorespiratory endurance, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility (American College of Sports Medicine, 2013).

Two canoes with people paddling on a calm river.
Individuals may enhance their heart health through regular participation in cardiorespiratory exercise. What activities (other than running or jogging) may enhance cardiorespiratory endurance? Photo by Razvan Chisu on Unsplash.

Cardiorespiratory (Aerobic) Endurance: The ability to perform prolonged, dynamic exercise using large muscle groups at a moderate-to-high-intensity level.

Body Composition: The proportion of fat and fat-free mass (muscle, bone, and water) in the body.

Muscular Strength: The amount of force a muscle can produce in a single maximum effort.

Muscular Endurance: The ability to resist fatigue and sustain: (1) a given level of muscle tension, or (2) repeated muscle contractions against resistance for a given time period.

Flexibility: The ability to move the joints through their full range of motion.

Comprehension check:

How do the physical activity guidelines outlined in Chapter 1 impact the five health-related components of physical fitness?

Furthermore, an individual’s physical fitness includes performance-related components. These six components measure specific skill-sets, and include: (1) agility, (2) coordination, (3) balance, (4) power, (5) reaction time, and (6) speed (American College of Sports Medicine, 2013).

Woman doing standing push ups against a fence.
An individual’s physical fitness may be assessed by health-related and performance-related components. Performance may be measured according to: agility, coordination, balance, power, reaction time, or speed. Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash.

Furthermore, an individual’s physical fitness includes performance-related components. These six components measure specific skill-sets, and include:

  • agility,
  • coordination,
  • balance,
  • power,
  • reaction time,
  • and speed (American College of Sports Medicine, 2013).

Works Cited

American College of Sports Medicine. (2013). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

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1.8 Training Principles
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Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Fitness
Copyright © 2019. A Guide to Physical Activity by Eydie Kramer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
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