The 5 Components of Physical Fitness

There are 5 components of physical fitness, and these components represent how fit and healthy the body is as a whole.

1. Cardiovascular Fitness
The cardiovascular system consists of the heart (cardio) and the blood vessels (vascular). Cardiovascular fitness is the body's ability to supply oxygen and blood to the working muscles during exercise that lasts for an extended period of time. Aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular fitness. Visit the Benefits of Aerobic Exercise page for more information on aerobic exercise.

2. Muscular Strength
Muscular strength is the amount of force a muscle or muscle group can exert against a heavy resistance. Anaerobic exercise improves muscular strength. Visit the Benefits of Anaerobic Exercise page for more information on anaerobic exercise.

3. Muscular Endurance
Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to repeat a movement many times or to hold a particular position for an extended period of time. Both aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise improve muscular endurance.

4. Flexibility
Flexibility is the degree to which an individual muscle will lengthen. Stretching improves flexibility. Visit the Benefits of Stretching page for more information on stretching.

5. Body Composition
Body composition is the amount of fat in the body compared to the amount of lean mass. Several methods can be used to calculate body fat. Visit the How to Calculate Body Fat page for information on these methods.

Now that you know what the 5 components of physical fitness are, you need to make sure that your fitness program addresses all five components, not just one or two.

There are plenty of weight lifters that have a lot of muscular strength, but poor cardiovascular fitness and too much body fat. There are also plenty of runners that have excellent cardiovascular fitness and low body fat, but little muscular strength.

A well-rounded fitness program that addresses all of the components of physical fitness will result in increased functional fitness and better overall health.

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