Aspects of Fitness

What is fitness?

‘Fitness’ is a wide, umbrella term means “being in good shape” but this will be different across different sports – a marathon runner will view it very differently to a rugby prop forward, for example. In reality there are multiple aspects to physical fitness and while these are often given slightly different names they covers roughly the same things.

They can be grouped into health-related components and skills-related components but both can be trained to at least some degree with the correct stimulus.

The best all round list for this is probably GCSE PE! Some will have different descriptions but they will all point to basically the same things – a way to think about how something as simple a a bicep curl or bench press can break down in multiple ways like this think of how it can change with reps:

• Can’t do 1 rep – not enough strength.

• Can’t do the last rep – not enough muscular endurance.

• Takes too long to do a set – not enough power.

Body composition
The percentage of body weight which is fat, muscle and bone
The gymnast has a lean body composition to allow them to propel themselves through the air when performing on the asymmetrical bars

Cardiovascular fitness
The ability of the heart, lungs and blood to transport oxygen
Completing a half marathon with consistent split times across all parts of the run

Flexibility
The range of motion at a joint
A gymnast training to increase hip mobility to improve the quality of their split leap on the beam

Muscular endurance
The ability to use voluntary muscles repeatedly without tiring
A rower repeatedly pulling their oar against the water to propel the boat towards the line

Strength
The amount of force a muscle can exert against a resistance
Pushing with all one’s force in a rugby scrum against the resistance of the opposition pack

Agility
The ability to change the position of the body quickly and control the movement
A badminton player moving around the court from back to front and side to side at high speed and efficiency

Balance
The ability to maintain the body’s centre of mass above the base of support
A sprinter holds a perfectly still sprint start position and is ready to go into action as soon as the gun sounds

Coordination
The ability to use two or more body parts together
A trampolinist timing their arm and leg movements to perform the perfect tuck somersault

Power
The ability to perform strength performances quickly
A javelin thrower applies great force to the spear while moving their arm rapidly forward

Reaction time
The time taken to respond to a stimulus
A boxer perceives a punch from their left and rapidly moves their head to avoid being struck

Speed
The ability to put body parts into motion quickly
A tennis player moving forward from the baseline quickly to reach a drop shot close to the net

Some sports scientists include more mental elements too as these can be trained.

Analytic and Tactical Ability
the ability of the mental system to evaluate and react to strategic situations (tactical ability).

Motivation and Self Confidence
a motivated and focused athlete, with a level of belief in themselves, often seen as arrogance in athletes.

Coping with Pressure
the ability to stay focused and perform up to expectations while under increasing pressure, and under changing conditions