Name: ___________________

PE 1- Assignment #1
Per:_______ Date: _________
Teacher:__________________
The 5 Components of Physical Fitness
Some people think that being physically fit means being in good general health. Other people
think it means being able to lift a certain amount of weight or being able to run a particular
distance in a certain time. One common definition is that physical fitness is a set of attributes
that people have or achieve relating to their ability to perform physical activity. Another common
definition is that physical fitness is a state of well-being with a low risk of premature health
problems and energy to participate in a variety of physical activities.

Even though the definition of physical fitness can vary, there's near unanimous agreement on
the 5 components of physical fitness. Let's take a closer look at these components individually.

(1)Cardiovascular fitness (or cardio-respiratory endurance or cardiovascular endurance) Of

the 5 components, cardiovascular fitness is the cornerstone that creates the pathway to
improving your other fitness levels.

Cardiovascular fitness is the efficiency with which the body (the heart and lungs) delivers
oxygen and nutrients to the required working muscles and transports waste products from the
cells over a sustained period of time. Or to put it another way, it's the ability of your heart and
lungs to work together to provide the necessary oxygen and fuel to your body without quickly
reaching a high level of fatigue and tiredness.

In our daily lives, we need cardiovascular fitness to handle the physical tasks and all of the
"running around" we do.

A common test of cardiovascular fitness usually involves some type of sustained running. But
typical examples of physical activities that relate to cardiovascular fitness are jogging,
swimming, cycling, plyometrics, brisk or speed walking and any type of aerobic exercises.
Aerobic exercise is the best way to improve cardiovascular fitness.

(2) Muscular strength is the maximum amount of force (weight or heavy resistance) a
muscle or muscle group can generate in a single effort to the point that no more repetitions can
be done without rest. Muscular strength is quite the opposite of cardiovascular fitness in regards
to the fact that cardiovascular fitness is measured over a certain period of time. While on the
other hand, muscular strength is measured in one repetition.

In our daily lives, we need modest levels of strength to be able to perform everyday physical
tasks like lifting, moving, carrying, etc.

A common test to measure upper body strength is some type of weightlifting exercise, such as
the bench press. Anaerobic weightlifting exercises like the bench press, leg press, shoulder
press, or bicep curls are examples of the best ways to improve muscular strength.

(3) Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to perform repeated
movements (or to hold a particular position) with less than maximum force for an extended
period of time or until muscular fatigue. Or, to put it simplistically, it's how long your muscles can
do something before getting too exhausted to finish.

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Be careful not to confuse muscular endurance with muscular strength. While they can work
together, they are definitely not the same. For many athletes, there may be a need to distinguish
between muscular strength and muscular endurance. But for everyday people who want to
easily perform their daily routines, are trying to stay healthy and fit, and just want to enjoy
physical activities like hiking, biking, or snowboarding, muscular endurance plays a major role in
fitness.

Common testing for muscular endurance can be dynamic (the ability to repeat contractions) or
static (the ability to sustain a contraction). Dynamic tests would be to see how many sit-ups, for
example, a person can complete in a designated amount of time (e.g. 30 seconds, a minute, or
maybe longer). Or, without being timed, the person could do as many repetitions of the exercise
as they could until they couldn't do anymore. An example of a static test would be the plank
exercise.

Muscular endurance can be improved by both aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Some
examples would be biking, step machines and elliptical machines.

(4)Flexibility is the ability to move the joints or any group of joints, muscles, ligaments, and
tendons through their full, normal range of motion without discomfort or pain.

Flexibility is actually more important to physical fitness than people realize. Not only does
flexibility play a big role in performing many daily tasks, but maintaining or even increasing your
flexibility is critical to protecting your joints and keeping them healthy. In addition, being flexible
contributes to improving your lower back health, reducing the appearance and effects of
arthritis, and reducing muscle-tendon injuries.

Not everyone has the same flexibility or flexibility requirements. Your flexibility tells you how
limber you are. And, when it comes to testing your flexibility fitness level, the sit-and-reach or
shoulder flexibility test is most often used.

Stretching is the best way to improve flexibility. And, most fitness experts recommend a daily
routine of static and dynamic stretches for each joint.

(5)Body composition is the percentage of fat in your body compared to your lean body mass
(muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, organs, etc.).

Body composition is a better indicator of your overall fitness condition than body weight. So
understand that your total body weight or what you see on your bathroom scale does not tell
you how much fat or lean body mass (muscle) you have.

Body composition is useful in helping to determine health risks. Therefore, knowing your body
composition and how it relates to your overall fitness level is essential. An optimal ratio of fat
mass to lean mass is a clear indicator of good fitness.

Your body composition is a consequence of the extent that you perform the other components
of physical fitness. In other words, when you improve the other four components, it will have a
positive impact on body composition resulting in less body fat. Alternatively, when you have a

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high body fat content ratio, you are considered overweight or possibly obese. And, it negatively
affects the other fitness components as well as your daily performance, your appearance, and
your overall health.

There are several methods that can be used to calculate body composition. The best method is
underwater weighing. But due to the expense, this isn't practical for the everyday person. Other
methods of determining your body composition include skinfold readings - using skinfold
calipers and taking measurements from certain areas of your body, or electrostatic
measurements which are now incorporated into many scales used in homes.

A regular program involving aerobic exercise and strength training can help you decrease your
body fat and increase your muscle mass; and thereby, significantly improving your body
composition and general overall health and fitness.

In conclusion, you now know that being fit is not just about being able to bench
press a lot of weight, but you also need to know how well you can handle running
a mile, for example, and a few other things. The key is that by understanding the 5
components of physical fitness, you'll be better able to assess your fitness level
and determine what specific health and fitness goals you'd like to achieve.

List and Describe the 5 components of Fitness

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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 Name: ___________________
PE 1- Assignment #1
Per:_______ Date: _________
Teacher:__________________
List the 5 components of Fitness

1._________________________ 4.________________________

2.________________________ 5.________________________

3.________________________

MATCHING: Match the activity below with the Component of Physical Fitness from above
Then tell us WHY you made that decision

Activity: Fitness WHY?

Component
Bicycling
Weight Lifting
Pilates
Counting Calories
Plank exercises
Mile Run Cardio Gets heart rate up for long time
Push-Ups
Swimming
Yoga
Jump Rope
Pull-Ups
Nutrition
Dynamic Stretching

Now it’s your turn: Choose 3 physical activities that you do outside of school that would fall
under one of the 5 components of Fitness. List the activity, the component of fitness and why
you believe it falls under that component. Your activity may incorporate more than one
component each.

Activity Fitness Component Why

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