Physical fitness has many benefits. We all know the obvious one, looking great! However, the reasons for keeping your body in great shape should go far beyond the aesthetic. From keeping your heart pumping efficiently to keeping your muscles limber, the five components of fitness encompass more than great abs and toned legs.
Cardiorespiratory Endurance: This long word is used to describe the ability of your body to deliver oxygen to your tissues over an extended period of time. If you are overweight you may be aware of this quality when you climb a staircase, the first few stairs are nothing, but flight after flight you become winded and exhausted.
Muscular Strength: Muscular strength refers to the ability to exert force. Lifting, pushing, and pulling all use muscular strength. You increase this through strength training.
Muscular Endurance: Endurance of the muscles means the ability to put them under stress for longer periods or through continued repetitions. Push up tests are a good example of using muscular endurance, as is a long set of crunches.
Flexibility: The ability to stretch, bend, and reach is very important and we see this deteriorate a lot with age. Things like yoga and pilates are great ways to keep this fourth of the five components of physical fitness up to par.
Body Composition: The final of the five components of physical fitness is that which refers to how much of your body is made of fat and other tissues. This is a common way to evaluate your health and fitness, through BMI or body fat tests.