The five basic components of physical fitness

Variety and constancy are key to maintain

physical and emotional fitness

Most of us have a favorite form of exercise or physical activity; some are even passionate about it and it’s the only thing they do. Yogis love stretching, balancing and deep breathing; cardio-kickboxers and martial artists love punching and kicking; bikers love pedaling; runners love… running.

Picking an exercise modality that you like without feeling forced to do it is key to start and maintain an exercise routine. However, no single sport or technique is enough to include all the necessary components of physical fitness; that’s why you should vary your physical activity and design an exercise program that includes them all.

The five basic components of physical fitness are cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Here’s a brief explanation of each of them:

· Cardiorespiratory fitness refers to the ability of the heart to efficiently pump blood through the body. Cardiorespiratory fitness is essential for overall health: it protects the body against cardiovascular disease, helps to prevent diabetes, reduces cholesterol, and improves sleep, among many other benefits. Swimming, step aerobics, cardio kickboxing, running, and many competitive sports are good examples of cardiorespiratory training.

· Muscular strength refers to the force within muscles and describes the force generated when a muscle or group of muscles contracts. It helps to prevent bone loss, it may help reduce pain and muscle fatigue in people suffering from arthritis, boosts energy levels, improve posture, and help with everyday life activities. Strength training exercises using dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands and other props are recommended for developing muscle mass. These exercises require doing a low number of repetitions using relatively heavy weights.

· Muscular endurance is the ability to perform repeated muscular effort. It is important for posture, weight control, and improving muscle tone, mood, and energy level. Muscular endurance exercises are performed using low weight and a high number of repetitions. Squats, lunges, push-ups, and medicine ball wall throws are examples of muscular endurance training.

· Flexibility refers to the range of motion around specific joints. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), flexibility training allows greater freedom of movement, improves posture, increases mental and physical relaxation, reduces muscle tension and soreness and reduces the risk of injuries. Flexibility could be dynamic (performing dynamic movements within the full range of motion) or static (holding a stretch for a few seconds using body weight or props.) Some techniques like yoga, tai chi, and martial arts improve muscle flexibility.

· Body Composition refers to the relative amount of fat and lean tissue in the body. Good body composition prevents heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke, among other health conditions. All of the components mentioned above, plus a healthy diet, help to maintain a good body composition.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans elaborated by the US Department of health and Human Services recommends:

“For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both.”

Lack of time, environmental constraints, or lack of motivation are some of the factors that people normally cite as reasons to not engage in physical activity and exercise. An exercise partner or a fitness professional can help you overcome those barriers and take the first step toward a more active and healthier lifestyle.