Components Of Fitness

Components of Fitness



Aerobic endurance: This is a measure of how efficient the heart, lungs, and hormonal systems are to be able to deliver oxygen and fuel to the muscles. Aerobic endurance is sometimes called cardiovascular endurance as it is a fitness that focuses on the cardiovascular system. Long distance runners and cyclists require a high level of aerobic endurance to be able to keep working over a long period of time in the race.   Cardiovascular endurance can be improved by taking part in aerobic training.



Muscular endurance: muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle to contract repeatedly. To have a good level of muscular endurance your muscles must be able to keep exerting force for a long time. This can mean that they are able to contract many times an example of this would be when running a marathon. Or it can mean the ability to sustain one contraction for a long period of time, for example, when pulling in a tug of war. Muscles need a good supply of oxygen.
Professional footballers need a high level of muscular endurance to keep them moving around the pitch for 90 minutes. Muscular endurance can be improved by taking part in weight training activities, by running or by regularly performing exercises such as sit-ups and press-ups.


Flexibility: This is the range of movement possible at a joint. Flexibility is determined by how elastic the ligaments and tendons are at a joint, how strong the muscles are that pull against the joint and the shape of the bones that form the joint. Most joints are designed to give either strength or flexibility, so the shape of the bones is usually the most important factor in determining flexibility. For example, the shoulder joint is made up of a ball shaped bone (the end of the humorous) and a cup-shaped bone (the end of the scapula), allowing lots of movement in many directions. Gymnasts have to be flexible so that they can twist their bodies into different shapes when performing routines or...