Download Different Aspects of Fitness - The Bronx High School of Science

Different Aspects of Fitness


Different activities make different
adaptations in your body, giving you
different kinds of fitness.
You need all of the components of
fitness, not just for sports or the
gym, but for everyday life and
health.
Cardiovascular Endurance


Also called cardio-respiratory
endurance or aerobic capacity
Definition: The ability of your heart
and lungs and their interconnected
system of blood vessels to supply
oxygen and nutrients throughout
your body
Cardiovascular Endurance (cont’d)


This aspect of fitness enables you to
run, swim, bike, skate, walk, ski,
and dance farther and longer, with
less effort.
Good condition lowers risk of
several diseases.
Improving Cardiovascular Endurance




Perform long-duration, large-muscle activity like
walking, running, skating, dancing, playing soccer,
and swimming at a brisk, fun intensity.
There’s a close match between how hard your
body actually works and how hard you consider
the activity.
Too out of breath to talk? You’re working at an
intensity that’s too high to be mostly aerobic.
(That’s not bad, you’re just working hard!)
An easy, moderate pace makes for easy,
moderate progress.
Anaerobic Capacity



Definition: Stored fuel system for
short, intense activity
Enables you to run or swim short
distances quickly, and exert against
resistances (Any short, hard
activity)
Ex: Running for a bus, pushing
open a stuck door, lifting packages,
going up a flight of stairs
Improving Anaerobic Capacity



Perform high-intensity, short duration
activity; ex: sprints, jumping rope, going
up stairs
Alternate short, hard exertions with easier
ones. Work hard enough to get out of
breath, rest briefly with mild activity until
your heart rate returns to normal, and
then sprint again.
What was previously uncomfortable
becomes possible and eventually easy.
Strength




Definition: The ability to move a heavy
weight once, or a few times.
Increasing your strength makes it easier
to lift weights and move yourself around
Weightlifting to increase muscular
strength also strengthens bones
The pull of muscle against bone thickens
the bone, reducing fracture risk and
preventing osteoporosis
Improving Strength




Most studies agree the maximum number
of times to lift a heavy weight to
maximize strength is between 4 and 10.
For the recreational lifter, the
recommendation is 8 to 12 lifts at a time.
For general strengthening, safely lift the
heaviest weight you can lift 8 to 12 times.
For serious strength building, lift the
heaviest you can for 4 to 8 lifts. Build up
how many times you can do this lift.
How do muscles get stronger?




The firing rate of nerves serving your
muscles increases.
More nerve-muscle units (called motor
units) can fire together.
Your muscle cells get bigger. (It’s a myth
that if you stop exercising your muscles
will turn to fat. The muscle cells shrink.)
Size is not the only predictor or strength.
Power



Definition: The ability to move weight
quickly. In exercise physiology, power is
measured by how fast you can be strong.
You call on power to push, pull, punch,
throw, and lift things and yourself quickly
Ex: bench pressing requires strengthdominated power; baseball and tennis
use primarily speed-dominated power
Improving Power



Move a heavy or light object
quickly. Repeat many times.
Use your brain and good joint
positioning to avoid injury.
Ex: to increase throwing power,
throw a heavier object than usual
toward a specific (safe) target,
faster than usual.
Muscular Endurance



Definition: The ability to move or support
a weight repeatedly or continuously.
You need muscular endurance of your
legs to walk, jog, and cycle long
distances, and go dancing.
You use muscular endurance of torso and
shoulder muscles to stand and sit in a
healthful position while reading this slide.
Improving Muscular Endurance




Do continuous lifts or motions.
Maintain good joint positioning to
prevent injury.
Ex: Pedaling a bicycle, running,
swimming, or walking a distance.
Ex: Holding healthful positioning
even if you’re tired requires
muscular endurance.
Flexibility


Definition: The ability to move
easily and safely through a range of
motion.
Functional flexibility is the ability to
stand and move in biomechanically
healthful positioning without
tightness pulling you into injurious
bad body positions.
Improving Flexibility




Warm up 5-10 min before you stretch to
raise the body’s core temperature and
enhance muscle elasticity. Don’t stretch
“cold.”
To increase long-term flexibility and range
of motion, always stretch major muscle
groups following your workout.
Do: Static stretching – stretch a body part
slowly and then holding the stretch
position, ideally for 15-30 seconds
Don’t: Ballistic stretching – bouncing type
of stretch that can cause injury
Balance



Definition: The ability to keep your
body stable and in position without
swaying, slipping, or falling.
This capacity is crucial to preventing
falls and near-falls, and the injuries
that come with them.
Injury and disuse diminish balance.
Improving Balance



Stand on one foot for increasing
lengths of time.
Ex: stand on one foot while talking
on the phone or washing dishes.
Ex: Put on and take off pants,
socks, and shoes standing up for
combination balance and flexibility.
Food For Thought


When you’re a child, you’re told,
“Sit still. Be quiet. Eat
everything on your plate.”
As an adult, it’s suddenly, “Get
moving. Don’t eat so much. Say
something profound.”
Not Just One
 You
need all the different
aspects of fitness for a
healthy, comfortable life!