What Are the Components of Physical Fitness?
The five components of physical fitness are cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition, according to FitDay. There is unanimous agreement in the fitness community that these are the five components of physical fitness though the definition of what level of fitness needs to be achieved is a personal one, according to Functional Fitness Facts.
Schools, health clubs and gyms assess overall physical fitness using tests of the five components of physical fitness, according to FitDay. Aerobic conditioning, which is defined as the ability of the heart and lungs to work together in fueling the body, can be tested with activities such as cycling and running.
Muscular strength is defined as how much force the muscles can exert in a single effort. This can be tested with weight lifting exercises, such as the bench press, leg press and bicep curl.
Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscles to work in a continuous effort, and it is evaluated through exercises such as cycling, step machines and sit-ups.
Flexibility is tested with exercises such as lunges and the sit-and-reach test. Pilates and yoga are recommended to increase flexibility.
Composition is the body’s ratio of fat versus lean muscle, bones and organs. This can be determined through underwater weighing or the pinch test.
