22/02/2023
The 5 Components of Health-Related Fitness.
1. Body Composition - This is the ratio of fat to non-fat in the body. High fat levels cause many health concerns, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and strokes. Each person's ideal body weight varies, and a traditional scale can not tell body composition. In the past, body mass index (BMI) was used to estimate health outcomes, but this was inaccurate for many people as it didn't take into account muscle weight v/s fat weight. Now, the best way to determine body composition is through hydrostatic testing or DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). Hydrostatic testing requires measuring weight outside of water and then again in water to find the difference. DEXA is used for measuring bone density but also can determine body composition. These tests are usually not covered by insurance. Almost every exercise addresses body composition. While doing cardio or weight training, the amount of fat is being reduced.
2. Cardiovascular Endurance - This is the ability to efficiently take in oxygen and distribute it to the body using the heart, lungs, arteries, vessels, and veins. By regularly exercising, and increasing the heart and breathing rate, efficiency can be improved. Improving this can also raise a person's metabolism. Depending on a person's fitness level exercises could include walking, running, biking, swimming, and more.
3. Flexibility - This is the range of motion around a given joint. This is joint-specific, and some people may be flexible in a few joints but tight in others. Flexibility allows for a large range of movements and impacts agility, balance, and coordination. These all impact the chance of injury. Exercises to improve flexibility include stretching each joint regularly.
4. Muscular Endurance - This is the ability to continuously use a particular muscle group against resistance. This is an interesting skill because many people develop this unevenly. For example, someone who does long-distance bike races may have high muscular endurance in their legs but low muscular endurance in their arms. This skill is helpful to walk upstairs or carry heavy bags of groceries. Exercises to improve this include: plank, obstacle courses, boot camp style workouts, and high-repetition strength training.
5. Muscular Strength - This is the amount of force a particular muscle group can produce in one, using all energy effort. This is also muscle-group specific. A person may have strong hamstrings but weak glutes, for example. This skill is crucial for standing up from a chair, lifting a box, and doing laundry. To build muscular strength, exercises might include lifting weights, using bodyweight workouts, or resistance bands.
Regards,
Medicart Pharma
086036 34652
