Components of Fitness

Components of Fitness- Physiological

• Aerobic Endurance• Speed• Muscular Strength• Muscular Power• Local Muscular Endurance• Flexibility• Agility

• Fitness of heart, lungs, circulatory and respiratory systems

• To improve, need to train in ‘training zone’ (65-85% of max HR) for at least 20mins/3X a week

• Changes include- no. of capillaries for O2/CO2 exchange, muscular strength of left ventricle- this stroke volume and overall ability of the body to transport O2 and for muscles to use it, stores of myoglobin increase (increasing ability of muscles to pick up O2 from blood).

• Eg long distance running, endurance events

Aerobic Endurance

Speed

• The ability to move from A to B as quickly as possible

• Important in sprint events and lots of team sports.

• To improve: interval training, reaction sprints.

• Eg. 100m, making a lead in football.

Muscular Strength

• 1 repetition max (1RM)• Improve by: 5 RM or less at max capacity,

general weight training• Eg scrum in rugby, shooting in hockey

Muscular Power

• Power is the combination of strength and speed- ie an explosive movement achieved as quickly as possible with as much strength as possible.

• To improve: weight training 3X a week 8-12 reps done quickly, plyometrics

• Eg shot, discus, spike in v/ball, long footy kick

Local Muscular Endurance

• Ability of a muscle group to keep working over a long period at desired effort level. Can be controlled by body’s tolerance of lactic acid levels.

• Training includes prolonged activities using said muscles, continuous training.

• Eg arms in 200m swim, legs in time trial

Flexibility

• Body’s ability to gain a range of movement required for activity. Interaction of skeletal and muscular systems.

• To improve: do flexibility work after warm up, stretch consistently.

• Different types- Static, PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) and ballistic.

• Eg gymnastics, athletics

Agility

• Combines speed, flexibility and balance• Ability to change direction quickly with

control• Eg. Evading an opponent in rugby, dribbling

the ball around opponents in basketball.• To improve: athletes perform agility tests

and are re-tested frequently, regular stretching and sprint work, specific agility drills designed specifically for the game.

Components of Fitness- Neuromuscular

• Balance

• Reaction Time

• Coordination

Balance

• Ability of body to remain in state of equilibreum while performing a task.

• Two types -Static (while remaining still) and Dynamic (while moving)

• Ways to improve: specific weight training (for synergists), repeat movements to improve neuromuscular controls.

• Eg gymnastics, aerobics, 200m sprint

Reaction Time

• The speed with which an individual can react to outside stimuli.

Process: Stimulus detected Brain reacts process information select response activate muscular response

• Important in: sprint starts, deciding who to pass to in basketball

• A person with better reaction time is rarely flustered. It allows the athlete to be in a good position at critical moments.

• To improve: practice with decreased length of sport specific movement. Eg kicks, passing, hitting in baseball etc

• Ability to link a series of muscular movements so they appear well controlled.

• Important in most sports eg: dance and aerobics, spiking in volleyball, gymnastics, cricket cover drive.

• Ways to improve: Start off with basic movements and gradually increase complexity and number of movements involved.

Coordination