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Physical fitness is the ability to function effectively throughout your
workday, perform your usual other activities and still have enough
energy left over to handle any extra stresses or emergencies which may
arise.
The components of physical fitness are:
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Cardio-respiratory endurance - the efficiency with which the body
delivers oxygen and nutrients
needed for muscular activity and transports waste products from the
cells. A person with a high level of
cardiorespiratory fitness is able to supply enough oxygen to the
tissues with relative ease. The cardiorespiratory system of a person
with a low fitness level has to work much harder, therefore getting
tired faster.
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Muscular strength - the greatest amount of force a muscle or muscle
group can exert in a single effort. Muscular strength is very important
to your overall health and fitness. Higher levels of muscular fitness
reduce the incidence of lower back pain and injury to the
musculoskeletal system.
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Muscular endurance - the ability of a muscle or muscle group to perform
repeated movements with a sub-maximal force for extended periods of
times.
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Flexibility - the ability to move the joints or any group of joints
through an entire, normal range of motion. Flexibility is reduced when
muscles become short and tightened with disuse causing an increase in
injury and strains. Those with greater flexibility tend to have a lower
risk of injury.
*
Nutrition - Good nutrition is essential for maintaining health and
providing the energy necessary for optimal physical and mental
performance.
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Body composition - the percentage of body fat a person has in
comparison to his or her total body mass. This measurement refers to
the relative proportions of body weight in terms of lean body mass and
body fat. Lean body mass represents the weight of water, muscle, bone
and internal organs. Body fat represents the remaining fat tissue and
is expressed as a percentage of total body weight.
Improving
the first five components of fitness listed above will have a positive
impact on body composition and will result in less fat. Excessive body
fat detracts from the other fitness components, reduces performance,
detracts from appearance, and negatively affects your health.
Factors
such as speed, agility, muscle power, eye-hand coordination, and
eye-foot coordination are classified as components of "motor" fitness.
These factors most affect your athletic ability. Appropriate training
can improve these factors within the limits of your potential. A
sensible weight loss and fitness program seeks to improve or maintain
all the components of physical and motor fitness through sound,
progressive, mission specific physical training.
Principles of Exercise
Adherence
to certain basic exercise principles is important for developing an
effective program. The same principles of exercise apply to everyone at
all levels of physical training, from the professional athlete to the
weekend jogger. These basic principles of exercise must be followed.
Regularity
-To achieve a training effect, you must exercise often. You should
exercise each of the first four fitness components at least three times
a week. Infrequent exercise can do more harm than good. Regularity is
also important in resting, sleeping, and following a sensible diet.
Progression
- The intensity (how hard) and/or duration (how long) of exercise must
gradually increase to improve the level of fitness.
Balance
- To be effective, a program should include activities that address all
the fitness components, since overemphasizing any one of them may hurt
the others.
Variety - Providing a variety of activities reduces boredom and increases motivation and progress.
Specificity - Training must be geared toward specific goals.
Recovery
- A hard day of training for a given component of fitness should be
followed by an easier training day or rest day for that component
and/or muscle group(s) to help permit recovery. Another way to allow
recovery is to alternate the muscle groups exercised every other day,
especially when training for strength and/or muscle endurance.
Overload
- The work load of each exercise session must exceed the normal demands
placed on the body in order to bring about a training effect.
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