Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Part 3

The six components of skill-related physical fitness are as follows:

• Agility – the ability to rapidly and accurately change the direction of the movement of the body in space.  Shuttle run is one example of agility.
• Balance – the maintenance of equilibrium while stationary or while moving.  Performing on the balance beam is one example that requires balance.
• Coordination – the ability to use senses with the body parts to perform motor task smoothly and accurately.  Jogging or kicking a ball are examples of activities requiring good coordination.
• Power – the ability to transfer energy into force at a fast rate.  Throwing the discus and putting the shot are activities that require considerable power.
• Reaction time – the time elapsed between stimulation and the beginning of reaction to that simulation.  Driving a racing car and starting a sprint race require good reaction time.
• Speed – the ability to perform a movement in a short period of time.  A runner on a track team or a wide receiver on a football team needs good foot and leg speed.

Benefits of Physical Fitness:

·      Vitality. Muscles are basic for all body action.  They increase in strength with activity and deterioration from lack of it.  Fit muscles use less energy to perform the same tasks, leading to an increase in vitality.

·      Posture. A physically-fit person is able to maintain his general postural alignment better than one with weak musculature.  Good fitness as a program stresses the development of anti-gravity muscles which maintains good abdominal wall and the arm and shoulder girdle.

·      Relieves low-back pain. – A lack of physical activity has been found to be the major cause for some cases of pain in the lower back.  Most adults who suffer from low- back pain are relieved from this pain by exercises that strengthen their back and abdominal muscles.