The Five Components of Fitness The five components of physical fitness are used in schools, gyms and he alth

clubs to measure levels of cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, mus cular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. There are many exercises and tests that can be used to increase these levels of fitness. By taking these exe rcises seriously, people can get in shape and stay in shape for the rest of thei r lives. Cardiovascular Endurance The first component of physical fitness is cardiovascular endurance. Thi s refers to the ability of the heart and lungs to work together to provide the b ody with oxygen. Someone with high cardiovascular endurance can sustain vigorous activity that requires increased oxygen. In contrast, a person with low cardiov ascular endurance becomes tired and out of breath easily, and has higher blood p ressure. An indicator of cardiovascular endurance is a person s resting heart rate, which should be around 65 beats per minute. Exercises that can improve a person s ca rdiovascular endurance include walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, and stair cl imbing, as long as they train within their comfort zone. The time of a workout s hould be 30 minutes in the targeted range per workout. Muscular Strength Muscular strength is the amount of force that a muscle can exert in a single eff ort. Training for muscular strength includes limited repetitions of exercises wi th a focus on increasing power and muscle mass. Also, there is relative muscular strength, or the maximum force you are able to exert in relation to your own bo dy weight. To increase muscular strength, one can do callisthenic exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks quickly for short periods of time. Latex exercise bands can also provide resistance during exercises that can greatly increase muscular strength. For those with more muscular strength built up, weight machines can be used to target a single muscle area. Free weights su ch as bench press and barbell exercises also increase muscular strength. Muscular Endurance Muscular endurance is a muscle s ability to work continuously for extended p eriods of time. Unlike muscular strength, muscular endurance is not gained by in creasing weights or resistance, but by sustaining the amount of time the muscle spends contracting against resistance. Building muscular endurance entails train ing muscles to overcome fatigue and keep working until the desired goal is met. It is an important component for athletes who have to sustain their strength for long periods of time. To increase muscular endurance, one can do exercises such as planks, squats, push-ups, dips, or sit-ups for longer periods of time or for many reps. Flexibility Flexibility is the movement available at the joints, usually controlled by the length of the muscles. While flexibility is commonly overlooked in compar ison to strength or cardiovascular endurance, it is essential to the body. Witho ut flexibility, movement decreases and joints become stiff. It helps prevent inj uries, improve posture, reduce lower back pain, maintain healthy joints, and imp rove balance. Consistent stretching can increase flexibility. Static stretching, or stretching while remaining still, can include the butterfly stretch, hamstri ng stretches, calf stretches, quad stretches, and hip stretches, all held for 10 -30 seconds without bouncing. Dynamic stretches, or stretches done while moving, include butt kicks, high knees, windmill toe touches, and grapevines. All stret ches should be done after the body is warmed up or even at the end of a workout. Body Composition Body composition Is the amount of fat in a person s body in comparison to th eir total body mass. Good body composition is gained through proper diet and con sistent exercise. Underdeveloped muscle groups or excessive body fat indicates p oor body composition, increasing the risk of obesity and relating complications including lower back pain, type two diabetes, various forms of cancer, heart dis ease, and high blood pressure. Eating a small portion of protein at every meal c an help reduce hunger and help you feel full. This protein can be found in lean beef, chicken, fish, eggs, and low-fat dairy product, which can improve body com

position by fueling working muscles and providing adequate nutrients for a leane r body. In contrast, high fat foods such as regular soda, French fries, whole mi lk, doughnuts, and candy bars are fine in moderation but will not help improve b ody composition and when eaten in excess will negatively impact one s health.

Works Cited www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/body-building/the-5-components-of-physic al-fitness.html http://www.alertdiver.com/330 www.livestrong.com/.../25267-muscle-strength-endurance-exercises/ ttp://www.livestrong.com/article/25831-list-muscular-endurance-exercises/ http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/flexibility-exercises.html http://www.runhilaryrun.ca/Images/fat_411_ts.pdf