Fitness means different things to different people. Probably the best definition is that fitness refers to “the ability to meet the physical demands of everyday life without excessive fatigue and still have something in reserve.” When considering fitness, it is important to ask the question “fit for what?” Participation in any activity/exercise regime will alter the way various body systems work. Whether the body can
cope with these changes depends on how prepared it is for the demands that are being made on it. If the demands of the exercise are too great for a person’s body systems, they will have to stop. If regular demands are made on the body, it adjusts to these, and exercise becomes easier. This is known as the principle of adaptation. Fitness is a mixture of many different physical qualities. Everybody needs these qualities to a certain extent. The degree to which an individual has these
qualities determines their health and ability in sport. These are known as health-related fitness components and motor fitness components (also known as sports-related or skill-related fitness). (1) Cardiovascular or aerobic fitness This can be defined as the ability to perform exercise over a long period of time without getting tired. It depends on the capacity of the heart, circulatory system and lungs to
meet the demands of the body for a sustained period of activity. Aerobic exercises work the cardiovascular and respiratory systems – improving the efficiency of the transportation and utilisation of oxygen to produce energy. Regular aerobic exercise is an excellent way to promote health. Aerobic exercise is any activity that is continuous, rhythmical and uses large muscle groups under low tension. The aerobic energy system provides most of the body’s needs for energy (except during periods of
intense work). When an individual starts exercising, the working muscles demand more oxygen to be delivered. It may take up to 3 minutes for the heart, lungs and circulatory system to meet this new demand, and in the meantime the anaerobic systems will meet the needs. A warm up helps to mobilise the aerobic system so that it is ready for use in the main activity, and as long as the exercise is continuous and submaximal, most of the energy will continue to be produced in this way. Short-term effects of aerobic exercise
Long-term
adaptations to aerobic exercise
Adaptations to blood:
Adaptations to blood vessels:
Adaptations to muscles:
Adaptations to bones: Adaptations to ligaments and tendons:
Adaptations to body fat:
Adaptations to lungs:
Health benefits of regular aerobic exercise
(2) Muscular strength Muscular strength is the maximum force that can be generated by a muscle group against resistance. To improve muscular strength, lift a heavy resistance for a few repetitions (high load – low reps). The main effect of this type of training is hypertrophy (bigger muscles). Adaptations to muscular strength training
(3) Muscular endurance Adaptations to muscular endurance training
Muscular strength and endurance lie on a continuum with maximum strength at one end and muscular endurance at the other.
(4) Flexibility There are 5 main ways of stretching:
The following factors affect flexibility:
Benefits of flexibility training
When stretching, tension is felt – this is the stretch reflex which helps to protect the stretched muscle from injury. Motor (sports-related/skill-related) fitnessThis can be defined as the ability to perform successfully in a given sporting context OR the level of physical fitness required for the demands of regular sporting activity. To achieve success in sport, all components of health-related fitness are needed. Sports-related fitness is more directly related to an athlete’s ability to perform the skills essential to their sport effectively and efficiently.
It is possible to improve these motor skills through regular training. What component of fitness that the amount of time that makes physical response to stimulus?Reaction time is the last dash point for skill-related components of physical fitness. It refers to the speed at which an athlete responds to an external stimulus. Reaction time relates directly to agility but is a smaller component of physical fitness.
What is stimulus in physical fitness?In physiology, a stimulus is a detectable change in the physical or chemical structure of an organism's internal or external environment. The ability of an organism or organ to detect external stimuli, so that an appropriate reaction can be made, is called sensitivity (excitability).
What is reaction time component of fitness?DEFINITION: Reaction Time is the time is take for you to initiate an action or movement in response to a stimuli. Reaction Time: is the time between the onset of the stimulus and the initiation of the response. Movement Time: is the time it takes to move.
Which physical fitness test assesses how fast a person can respond to a stimulus?Reaction time testing assesses a person's quickness to react to a stimulus (see more about reaction time).
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