health + fitness

• Fitness


  The ability to meet the demands of the environment
• Health


  A state of complete emotional, physical and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
• Components of fitness

  • Cardiovascular fitness
  • Muscular Endurance
  • Flexibility
  • Reaction Time
  • Power
  • Speed
  • Agility
  • Balance
  • Coordination
  • Strength
• Cardiovascular fitness

  The ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to the working muscles
• Muscular Endurance

  The ability of a muscle group to undergo repeated contractions, avoiding fatigue
• Flexibility

  The range of movement possible at a joint
• Reaction Time

  The time taken to respond to a stimulus
• Power

  Is the ability to do strength performances quickly
• Speed

  The amount of time it takes to perform a particular action or cover a particular distance
• Agility

  Is the ability to change position of the body quickly while maintaining control of the movement
• Balance

  Is the ability to retain the body's centre of mass above the base of support
• Coordination

  Is the ability to use two or more body parts together smoothly and efficiently
• Strength

  The ability to overcome a resistance. it requires a force to be applied to a muscle or muscle group
• Fitness tests

  • Multi stage fitness test
  • Sit-up bleep test
  • Sit and reach
  • Ruler drop test
  • Vertical jump
  • 30m sprint
  • Illinois agility run
  • Stork balance test
  • Wall toss
  • Grip dynamometer
  • 1 rep max test
• Exercise improves fitness, an increase in fitness will improve performance
• Exercise improves all aspects of health (physical, social, emotional)
• If you are not healthy enough to take part in regular exercise your fitness will deteriorate causing your performance to drop. Health benefits will not be gained
• Reasons for fitness testing

  • To identify strengths and areas for improvement
  • Identify training requirements
  • To show a starting level of fitness
  • To motivate and provide goals
• Reasons for fitness testing during and after a training programme

  • To monitor improvement
  • To provide variety to a training programme
  • Compare results against norms of the group
  • To identify whether training has been successful
• Limitations of fitness testing

  • Tests are often general and not sport specific
  • The movement required in the test is not the same as in the actual activity
  • Tests do not have competitive conditions required in sports
  • Some tests do not use direct measuring and are an estimate or are submaximal
  • Some tests need motivation, because they are exhausting to complete
  • Some tests questionable reliability
  • Tests must be carried out using the correct procedures to increase validity
• Multi stage fitness test

  • Measure out 20 metres
  • Place cones to mark the distance
  • Start the audio recording
  • Run from one cone to the other until you cannot continue
  • Record result and compare to a rating chart
• Wall toss test


  • Stand 2 meters away from a wall
  • Throw a tennis ball underarm against the wall
  • Throw with the right hand and catch with the left hand; then alternate hands
  • Record result and compare to a rating chart
• Sit-up bleep test

  • Lie on a mat, knees bent, feet on the floor. your hands across your chest on shoulders
  • Start the audio recording
  • Sit up until you can no longer continue
  • Record results and compare to a rating chart
• Stork test


  • Place hands on your hips & foot on your knee
  • Raise your heel from the ground so you are balancing on your toes
  • Time starts when you lift your heel
  • Record result and compare to a rating chart
• Ruler drop


  • Stand with your hand open around the ruler, with the 0 cm mark between thumb and forefinger
  • The assistant holds and drops the ruler
  • Catch the ruler as quick as possible
  • Record results and compare to a rating chart
• Hand grip dynamometer

  • Adjust the grip to your hand
  • Keep your arm beside you at a right angle to your body
  • Squeeze the handle as hard as you can
  • Record result and compare to a rating chart
• Illinois run


  • Set up the course as shown in the picture
  • Lie face down on the floor, by the first cone
  • On 'Go' run around the course as fast as you can
  • Record result and compare to a rating chart
• Sit and reach test

  • Sit with your legs straight and the soles of your feet flat against the box
  • With palms face down, one hand on top of the other, stretch and reach as far as possible
  • Record result and compare to a rating chart
• One rep max

  • Warm up
  • Lift the maximum weight you can in one attempt
  • Record result and compare to a rating chart
• 30m sprint


  • Measure and mark out 30 metres in a straight line
  • Place one cone at the start and one at the end
  • On 'Go' run as fast as you can
  • Record result and compare to a rating chart
• Vertical jump


  • Stand side onto the wall, feet flat on the floor
  • Mark the highest point that the tips of your fingertips can reach
  • Holding a piece of chalk, jump as high as you can
  • Mark on the wall the top of your jump
  • Measure the distance between the 1st and 2nd marks
• Quantitative data


  Measurements that can be quantified as numbers such as time, distance, levels or numbers
• Qualitative data


  Measurements based on quality rather than quantity, such as a number out of 10 for a routine. They are opinions not facts.
• Cardiovascular fitness


  • persons who perform aerobically over a long period of time
  • needed to maintain a high standard of performance throughout event
  • without CF they would tire easily
• Muscular endurance


  • people who exercise the same muscles for long periods and mainly aerobically
  • needed to maintain a high standard throughout
  • they would need a prolonged delivery of O2 to working muscles
• Flexibility


  • people who need a wide range of movement for their position/event
  • needed so they won't have injuries when going into positions
• Reaction time

  • people who need to make quick decisions and movements ie. badminton player
  • needed to get a good start in a race or to respond to serve/return
• Speed


  • people who need to win with the fastest time
  • used to gain advantage over their opponents
• Strength


  • people who require a lot of muscular force for their event ie. weightlifter
  • used to create a large force (explosive)
  • used to support weight (static)
  • used to lift heavier weights (maximal)
• Dynamic strength


  • the ability of a muscle or muscle group to contract repeatedly over a long period of time without tiring out.