Understanding Physical Fitness: Skills, Endurance, and More

Understanding Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is the set of qualities and physical abilities. It is the starting point of any movement.

Key Physical Skills

• Speed: The ability to make one or more movements in the shortest time possible.
• Strength: The ability to overcome an external resistance or face it with a muscle strain.
• Endurance: The ability to support an effort as long as possible.
• Flexibility: The capacity by which the movement reaches its maximum size.

Motor Skills

• Balance: The ability to hold any position of the body against gravity.
• Coordination: A muscular excitement orderly and controlled by the nervous system.

Conditioning Factors

Conditioning depends on extrinsic and intrinsic factors.

Resistance and Oxygen

Resistance relates to oxygen consumption, oxygen deficit, and oxygen demand.

Types of Stress Intensity

There are three types of stress intensity: submaximal and a half.

Exercise improves cardiac output, blood flow, and reduces risk in the muscles not involved.

Aerobic and Anaerobic Endurance

There are two types of aerobic endurance: balance between intake and output of oxygen and anaerobic, where the body lacks oxygen.

Strength in Detail

Strength is the ability to overcome an external resistance or face it with a muscle strain.

Types of Strength

• Static: Motionless.
• Dynamic: With movement.

Types of Contractions

There are three types of contractions: isotonic, isometric, and auxometric.

Force is measured with tensiometers, gauges, and weights.

Ways to Improve Strength

There are several ways to work on strength: maximum load, submaximal loads, resistor-strength, countermovement, isokinetic electrostimulation.

The strength depends on physical and physiological factors.

Speed in Detail

Speed is the ability to make one or more movements in the shortest time possible.

Types of Speed

• Gestural speed
• Mental speed
• Reaction speed
• Convection speed

Speed depends on physiological and physical factors.

Flexibility in Detail

Flexibility is the capacity by which the movement reaches its maximum size.

Flexibility depends on joint mobility and muscle elasticity and extensibility.

Flexibility is classified into the mechanics of movement performed and the body part involved.

Development is active or passive.

Balance in Detail

Balance is the ability to hold any position of the body against gravity.

Types of Balance

• Static equilibrium
• Dynamic equilibrium

Balance depends on physiological or physical factors.

Coordination in Detail

Coordination is a muscular excitement orderly and controlled by the nervous system. The coordination number of classes dinamichay general dynamic coordination, oculo manual, foot and eye.