The 5 Components of Physical Fitness are often used in our school systems, health clubs, and fitness centers to measure how fit we really are. The 5 components that make up total fitness are:

Total fitness can be defined by how well the body performs on each of the fitness components as a whole. It’s not enough to be able to bench press your body weight. You also need to determine how well you can handle running a mile, etc.
A closer look at the individual components:

cardio endurance it is the ability of the heart and lungs to work together to provide the necessary oxygen and fuel for the body during sustained workloads. Some examples would be jogging, biking, and swimming. The Cooper Run is most often used to test cardiovascular endurance.

Muscular strength is the amount of force a muscle can produce. Some examples would be the bench press, leg press, or bicep curl. The push-up test is most often used to assess muscle strength.

muscle hardening It is the ability of the muscles to perform continuously without fatigue. Examples would be cycling, step machines, and elliptical machines. The sit test is most often used to assess muscular endurance.

flexibility it is the ability of each joint to move through the range of motion available to a specific joint. Examples would be stretching individual muscles or the ability to perform certain functional movements like the lunge. The sit and reach test is most often used to assess flexibility.

body composition it is the amount of fat mass compared to lean muscle mass, bones and organs. This can be measured using underwater weighing, skinfold readings, and bioelectrical impedance. Underwater weighing is considered the “gold standard” for body fat measurement; however, due to the size and cost of the equipment required, very few locations are prepared to perform this type of measurement.

Why the need for physical fitness tests?

As stated above, the 5 components of physical fitness represent how fit and healthy the body is as a whole. When you have the battery of tests done, you will receive information on the specific areas you need to work on. From the battery of tests, a very specific goal-oriented fitness program can be developed.

If your body composition is (more fat compared to muscle mass), there are many health-related diseases and illnesses that you have a higher chance of getting. It is important to combine healthy eating habits with your exercise program.

If you scored low on the cardiovascular test, you’d be more likely to be at risk for heart-related disease and wouldn’t do well with activities that take longer to complete. She would engage in things like long bike rides, swimming, and jogging for long periods of time to correct this component.

The following three tests can have results that are isolated to specific joints and muscles of the body or that affect the body as a whole.

If you score low on flexibility tests, you are more likely to have decreased performance in activities/sports of daily living and a higher risk of injury. You may also experience lower back pain. It would be important to include flexibility training in your daily training.

If you scored low on the muscular endurance test, you fatigue early in exercise or activities of daily living. Many exercises that require high repetitions and low weight would be implemented in your training program.

If you scored low on the muscle strength test, you are not strong enough to perform well in sports, resistance training, and activities of daily living. His fitness program would have an added progressive strength training component that would allow him to get stronger with little chance of injury over time.

Fitness tests have their limitations: While they give you a good idea of ​​where your body is, they don’t paint the full picture. As stated above, some of the above tests only test specific parts of the body. Other important factors such as balance and agility are not tested. It also requires the ability to perform the tests. It would be dangerous for someone who is in poor shape and does not exercise to participate in fitness tests.

Before you decide to undergo fitness tests, make sure you know why they are being done and determine that it is safe for you to participate.