FIVE AREAS OF HEALTH-RELATED FITNESS

1. Cardiorespiratory Endurance
a. Generally considered the most important physical fitness component (of good health and physical condition). b. Cardio (heart), respiratory (lungs) c. Other related terms: cardiovascular (heart/blood vessels) strength and endurance. Aerobic working with oxygen. d. Aerobic fitness A measure of the hearts ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body and the ability to adjust to and recover from physical activity. Measured by gauging maximum oxygen uptake (how efficiently the body uses oxygen) during medium to hard physical activity. e. The mile run is a common test used to measure aerobic fitness.

2. Muscular Strength
a. Muscular strength is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to exert a maximal force against a resistance. b. We use the push-up test to measure muscular strength. Later on, as we get into using the weight room/fitness center to build strength, we will measure the most you can lift,on various weight stations, just ONE time.

3. Muscular Endurance
a. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert force over a period of time against a resistance less than the maximum an individual can move. b. Muscular endurance training involves using your muscles (muscle contractions) for a high number of repetitions with little rest or recovery between each exercise. (A repetition is each time you lift a weight or contract muscle to complete an exercise.) c. To develop muscular strength, the overload principle applies. You must increase the resistance (add more weight) against the muscles involved to a level greater than that used before. d. To develop muscular endurance, the overload principle says to increase the number of repetition, increase the length of the repetition, decrease the rest interval (rest period) between activities, or a combination of two or three of these. e. We use the sit-up test to measure muscular endurance for the Presidents Challenge.

4. Flexibility
a. Flexibility is the ability of a joint, with the muscles and tendons surrounding it, to move freely and comfortably through its intended full range of motion (ROM). b. The best stretching for physical education class is static stretching. This form of stretching involves using the ROM of a joint slowly and steadily in a held position. c. Many experts recommend that participants perform low-intensity aerobic endurance activity before performing any stretching. (an easy jog for 3-5 minutes) d. We use the sit-and-reach test to measure flexibility for the Presidents Challenge.

5. Body Composition
a. Body composition is the ratio of lean body mass (all tissues not fat, such as bone, muscle, organs) to body fat, usually expressed in terms of percent of body fat. b. Skinfold caliper testing is the most commonly used method for determining body composition. c. Height-weight charts do not take into account percent of body fat and dont provide accurate results. d. We can get a rough idea of our body composition through use of the Body Mass Index (BMI) Chart. (The shuttle run test indicates a person may have more fast-twitch muscle than some of their peers.)