For general health and fitness there are four fundamental components. There is an interaction between the four and a deficiency in one area my manifest itself in another. If you are considering a fitness program it is advisable that you address all of these areas that will help you improve your overall fitness level. Let’s briefly discuss these areas:
Cardiovascular: This component is the measure of how well your heart, lungs and circulatory system functions. Walking, running, cycling and swimming are all common forms of aerobic cardiovascular exercise. Less common but more intense forms of cardiovascular exercise include sprint interval running, jumping rope and any form or high intensity interval training.
Muscular Strength and Endurance: This component of fitness is a measure of how strong or how fatigue-resistant your muscles can perform. Individuals who demonstrate high amounts of strength have a tendency to participate in activities that are short in effort-duration like football and sprints. On the other end of the spectrum individual who can perform multiple resistive type exercise like push-up and pull ups with relative little fatigue demonstrate muscular endurance.
Flexibility: Flexibility is simply range of motion around a joint. It can be measured by distance like inches or simply reaching toward your toes with straight legs. There are numerous ways to determine flexibility for nearly every major joint of the body. As we age flexibility is compromised which may lead to joint discomfort, loss of balance and muscles feeling tight. Be sure to include flexibility training in your fitness program.
Body Composition: Body composition is the measure of fat to non-fat weight of the body. Typically a lower body fat is desirable for optimal fitness. A lower body fat is associated with lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, better cardiovascular function and better strength to weight ratio. Body composition is controlled by diet and exercise.