Testing Physical Fitness

http://tinyurl.com/hayum65

Health-related physical fitness is defined as activity aimed to improve the overall health and well-being1. The goal of health-related fitness is prevention of disease or, rehabilitation from disease, as well as the development of a high level functional capacity for daily tasks1. Fitness is not described by appearance, but by these five health-related fitness components:

1. Muscular Strength2: Muscular strength is the power it takes to lift or carry a heavy object. This is necessary for our bodies to be able to meet the demands that are placed upon us. To increase strength, train with heavy weights in the 4-6 or 12-15 rep ranges. The heavier the weight, the fewer the reps.
2. Muscular Endurance2: Muscular endurance is the ability for your muscles to perform contractions for an extended period of time. The way to improve endurance is to train with lighter weights in the 20-25 rep range. The lighter weight trains the muscle fibers needed for muscular endurance, and the high rep range leads to a longer period of exercise.
3. Cardiovascular Endurance2: Cardiovascular endurance is your body’s ability to keep up with exercise such as running, jogging, swimming, cycling, anything that forces your cardiovascular system to work for extended periods of time. The heart and lungs fuel your body with oxygen, that is needed by your muscles, for the work that they are doing. A couple common tests for cardiovascular endurance would be the mile and a half run, or the step test (stepping onto a platform for 5 minutes).
4. Flexibility2: Flexibility is often overlooked as being important. Without flexibility, movement would be limited as the muscles and joints would become stiff. Flexibility training ensures that the body can move through its entire range-of-motion. A common test for flexibility is the sit and reach test. This is where you sit on the floor and reach towards your toes. The closer to your toes, or beyond, that you reach, the more flexible you are.
5. Body Fat Composition2: Body fat composition is the amount of fat on your body. For example, if someone that is 100 pounds has 25% body fat, they will have a lean body mass of 75 pounds and 25 pounds of fat. Here is a body fat percentage chart:

http://exercise.lovetoknow.com/Body_Fat_Percentage_Chart

References:

15 Components of Physical Fitness. (n.d.). Retrieved September 26, 2016, from http://www.health-galaxy.com/5-components-of-physical-fitness.html

2The 5 Components of Physical Fitness / Fitness / Body Building. (n.d.). Retrieved September 26, 2016, from http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/body-building/the-5-components-of-physical-fitness.html