COMPONENTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS

There are various components of physical fitness required for sporting excellence. Understanding the specific components as related to the sport will assist coaches to select and utilize the precise training methods and exercises to develop these components in compliance to the principles of specificity to the physiological needs of the sport. The components of physical fitness are:

Cardiovascular Endurance (energy system interplay) – The ability of the lungs and heart to take in and transport adequate amounts of oxygen to the working muscles, allowing activities that involve large muscle mass.

Mascular Strengh – The common definition is “ the ability to exert a force against a resistance”. Another definition of strength is “the maximal force that a muscle or muscle group can generate a specific velocity”

Flexibility – Range of motion (ROM) available in a joint or group of joints that can be measured either angularly or linearly.

Body Composition (as required by the sport) – The percentage ratio of muscle versus fat as required by the sport person specific to his/her sport requirement.

Speed – Speed is the quickness of movement of a limb, whether this is the legs of a runner or the arm of the shot putter. Speed is an integral part of every sport and can be expressed as any one of, or combination of the following.

General speed: the capacity to perform any kind of movement (motor reaction) in a rapid manner. Specific speed: the capacity to perform an exercise or skill at a given speed, which is usually high.

Agility – Ability to change direction involving explosive breaking, changing direction and accelerating again while maintaining good body control.

Reaction Time (visual, audio, touch, smell, intuition) – Represents the time between exposure to a stimulus and the first muscular reaction, or the first movement performed.  

Simple reaction: the predetermined conscious response to a previously known signal performed unexpectedly.

Complex reaction : when an individual receives several stimuli and has to choose between them.

Balance (stability, poise, control) – The ability to maintain equilibrium when stationary or moving (i.e. not to fall over) through the coordinated actions of our sensory functions (eyes, ears and the proprioceptive orgains in our joints).

Static balance: ability to retain the centre of mass above the base of support in a stationary position.

Dynamic balance: ability to maintain balance under changing conditions of body movement.

Coordination – The ability to perform movements of various degrees of difficulty very quickly, with great precision and efficiency, and in accordance to the specific task.

General co-ordination – the capacity to rationally perform various motor skills multilaterally.

Specific co-ordination – the ability to perform various movements in the selected sprt vary quickly with ease, flawlessness and precision that closely links to the sports specificity of motor skills.

Kinesthetic Awareness – The spatial awareness of space, speed, distanc, in relation to body position (awareness of body position).