5 Main Components of Physical Fitness

"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." - Plato (Greek philosopher)

Before we dwell into the five main components of physical fitness, you should understand the meaning of physical fitness. The United States Department of Health and Human Services has defined physical fitness as "a set of attributes that people have or achieve that relate to the ability to perform physical activity". In layman’s language, an individual is physically fit if he is able to lift a heavy weight or run a long distance. However, if you really want to measure the overall fitness of a person you have to take into consideration the five components of physical fitness.

5 Main Components of Physical Fitness

The five main components of physical fitness include "Cardio respiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition".

Cardio-Respiratory Endurance

Cardio-respiratory endurance is one of the five components of physical fitness. You can define cardio-respiratory endurance as the ability of the heart to pump blood rich oxygen for the functioning of your muscles. The ability to remain fit without feeling tired or fatigue during physical exercise measures the physical fitness of a person. Swimming, cycling, walking, jogging and aerobics are the classical examples of exercises and sports related to cardio-respiratory endurance. Try the above-mentioned exercises and sports to improve the fitness level of your cardio-respiratory endurance.

Muscular Endurance

Muscular endurance is sometimes confused with muscular strength. The ability of the muscle to perform an action without feeling fatigue is known as muscular endurance. It is related to muscular strength and cardio-respiratory endurance. To increase the fitness level of muscular endurance, try exercises such as jogging, bicycling and dancing.

Muscular Strength

Muscular strength is one of the five components of physical fitness. The muscular strength is measured by maximum amount of strength a muscle has while lifting or during an exertion. In short, muscular strength is the ability of the muscle to exert strength during a workout or an activity. The physical fitness of muscle strength could be improved through exercise such as lifting weights.

Physical Flexibility

One of the major components of physical fitness is physical flexibility. The fitness level is measured by the flexibility of your joints. If you have good flexibility in the joints, injuries related to joints could be prevented. The exercises such as stretching and swimming would help to improve the physical flexibility.

Body Composition

To know your fitness level you need to understand your body composition. The reason is body composition directly relates to the overall fitness level. The fat, muscle, bones and other vital organs of the body are known as the body composition. The overall physical level of an individual depends on his body composition.

The physical fitness of a person depends not only on the above-mentioned components but is a result of his lifestyle, nutrition, and basic habits.