The 4 Elements of Fitness

 Most people want to be in good shape, but that begs a question.  What does it mean to be in good shape?  The answer is quite simple.  To be in good shape, you need physical skills in four areas: aerobic capacity, muscle strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition.

    1. Aerobic capacity.

 Aerobic form, also known as cardiorespiratory form, refers to the health and function of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system.  Simply put, aerobic fitness is the ability of the cardiorespiratory system to provide an adequate supply of oxygen to exercising muscles.  As your aerobic capacity increases, your ability to participate in more intense and longer duration exercises (for example, walking, running, swimming, and cycling) also increases.  

Aerobic fitness is arguably the most important of the four elements of physical fitness because of its health benefits.  According to the American College of Sports Medicine,

increased aerobic capacity leads to decreased blood pressure, decreased total cholesterol, increased (good) HDL cholesterol, decreased body fat, increased blood pressure  heart function and decreased risk of type 2 diabetes.

    2. Muscle strength and endurance.

  Muscle strength is the maximum amount of force that a muscle or group of muscles can generate during a single contraction.  Muscle endurance is the number of repeated contractions that a muscle or group of muscles can do without getting tired.  

Both are important components of overall fitness, as increasing your strength through various types of resistance training (e.g. weight lifting) leads to increased bone strength, decreased bone loss.  , decreased bone loss, increased muscle strength, increased strength of tendons and ligaments, increased physical capacity, improved metabolic function (for example, burning more calories while resting) and  reduce the risk of injury.

    3. Flexibility.  

Flexibility is the range of motion of a joint.  Increased flexibility offers a variety of benefits such as reduced risk of injury, increased blood and nutrient flow to joint structures, increased neuromuscular coordination, reduced risk of low back pain, improved posture and less muscle tension.

    4. Body composition.  

Body composition refers to the relative percentage of body weight made up of body fat and non-fat mass (other than fat like muscle, organ, blood, bone, and water).  Generally speaking, the lower the percentage of body fat, the better it is due to conditions related to excess body fat, such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and blood disorders.  sleep.  

I am often asked, "Can you be fat and fit?"  The answer is an overwhelming NO.  An important part of physical conditioning is having a healthy body fat percentage, as an increase in fat leads to decreased athletic performance and an increased risk of disease (although it is possible to be overweight and dull).  'to be in good health, for health is simply the absence of disease).  .  

According to the American Council on Exercise, the average body fat percentage for men is 18-24%.  For fit men, the percentage is 14-17%.  The average percentage of women is 25 to 31%;  however, fit women will be between 21 and 24%.  Body fat percentages greater than 25% for men and 32% for women are considered obese.