physical fitness

• physical fitness is but one part of the total fitness that includes the mental, emotional, and social aspect of the individual's total well-being
• physical fitness is not permanent; fitness level deteriorates if one stops his regular regimen of routinary exercises and physical activities
• physical fitness is the ability to perform one's daily task efficiently without undue fatigue but with extra reserve in case of emergency
• three important aspects that an individual should be able to meet i order to be physically fit
• leisure time is the amount of time left after the daily routine activities of an individual have been accomplished
• recreation is any activity that is participated in by the individual during leisure time on voluntary basis because it provides an immediate satisfaction on the individual
• concepts of physical fitness: organic vigor, endurance, strength, power, flexibility, agility, balance and speed
• organic vigor is the soundness of the heart and the lungs, which contributes to the ability to resist disease
• endurance is the ability to sustain long-continued contractions where a number of muscle groups are used; the capacity to bear or last long in a certain task without undue fatigue
• strength is the capacity to sustain the application of force without yielding or breaking; ability of the muscle to exert effort against the resistanvce
• power is the ability of the muscle to release maximum force in a shortest period of time
• flexibility is the quality of plasticity, which gives the ability to do a wide range of movement
• agility is the ability of an individual to change direction or position in space with the quickness and lightness of movement
• balance is the ability to control organic equipment neuromuscularly; a state of equilibrium
• speed is the ability to make successive movements of the same kind in the shortest period of time
• components of physical fitness are skill-related and health-related
• health related fitness is a function of body's adaptation to exercise; through regular and proper exercise program
• muscular strength is the ability of the muscle to exert minimum effort in brief duration--isotonic, isometric, isokinetic contractions
• isotonic contractions are voluntary contractions in muscles shorten and lengthen alternatively; muscle contracts at varying speed against a resistance
• types of isotonic are concentric and eccentric
• concentric contraction refers to muscles that shorten during exercise; no movement occurs and length of muscles remains unchanged
• eccentric contraction refers to muscle that lengthens during an exercise; exert force due to an outside resistance
• the most common example of isotonic is calisthenics exercise--makes use of a body segment or entire body weight as a form of resistance
• most traditional calisthenics are push ups, sit ups and pull up
• another approach to develop muscular strength involving isotonic exercise is through the use of weights
• isometric contractions-muscles are contracted against an immovable resistance; provides maximum resistance, no observed movement--5 seconds
• isokinetic is same to isotonic but muscles are exposed to fixed machines with variable degrees of resistance-resistance is equal to the force applied
• physiological benefits from strength training-- increase muscle strength by 10-25% within 6-8 weeks; and increase muscle size or muscle hypertrophy
• muscular endurance is the ability of the muscle to endure a sub maximal effort for a prolonged period of time
• cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the heart, blood vessels and the lungs to adapt to physical exertion for a prolonged duration
• muscular endurance is developed by employing different strength training exercises mentioned above either for longer periods of time or an increased number of exercise repetitions
• intensity refers to how stressful the exercise is
• duration refers to how long will the exercise be performed
• frequency which refers to number of times the individual will exercise each week
• mode which refers to the kind of activity selected
• flexibility is the ability of the muscles and joints to go through a full range of motion; reduces injury, enhances performance and prevents muscle soreness
• flexibility is influenced by structure of the joints, amount of tissues surrounding it and extensibility
• flexion is bending of a body segment
• extension is straightening a body segment
• abduction is moving a limb away from the body