Lesson
1: Health and Skill Related Fitness
Skill Related Fitness Components or Motor Skill Performance Related Fitness related to the quality of
one’s movement skill.
•Fitness is defined as good health, especially good physical condition resulting from exercise and proper
nutrition.
•Physical fitness is divided into five health and six skill-related components. Skill or performance related
fitness involves skills that will enhance one’s performance in athletic or sport events. Health-related
fitness involves skills that enable one to become and stay physically healthy. (Cardiovascular fitness,
Muscular Endurance, Muscular Strength, Flexibility, and Body Composition)
Six Components of Skill-Related Fitness
There are six skill-related fitness components: agility, balance, coordination, speed, power, and reaction
time. Skilled athletes typically excel in all six areas.
1. Agility- the ability to change direction quickly while the body is in motion. For example,
changing directions to hit a tennis ball. (Football & Basketball)
2. Balance-the ability to keep an upright posture while standing still or moving. For example, in-
line skating & stretching.
a. Static Balance- the ability to maintain one’s equilibrium in a fixed position.
b. Dynamic Balance- the ability to maintain one’s equilibrium while the body is in
motion.
• Equilibrium- a state in which opposing forces or actions are balanced so
that one is not stronger or greater than the other.
3. Coordination- the ability to use your senses together with your body parts, or to use
two or more body parts together. For example, dribbling a basketball. Using hands and
eyes together is called hand-eye coordination.
4. Power- the ability to perform one maximum effort in a short period of time as possible.
For example, fullbacks in football muscling their way through other players and speeding to advance the
ball and volleyball players getting up to the net and lifting their bodies high into the air.
5. Reaction Time-the ability to react or respond quickly to what you hear, see, or feel. For
example, an athlete quickly coming off the blocks early in a swimming or track relay, or stealing
a base in baseball.
6. Speed- the ability to perform a movement or cover a distance in a short period of time. Many
sports rely on speed to gain advantage over your opponents. For example, a basketball player
making a fast break to perform a lay-up, a tennis player moving forward to get to a drop shot,
and a football player out running the defense to receive a pass.
Health-related fitness is primarily associated with disease prevention and functional health.
Participating in regular health-related fitness helps you control your weight, prevents diseases and
illness, improves your mood, boosts energy, and promotes better sleep.
Five (5) Components of Health Related Fitness:
1. Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of your heart, blood cells, and lungs to work
continuously for extended periods of time. This is how efficiently your body takes in,
transports, and uses oxygen while exercising. Having efficient heart and lungs leads to
increased energy throughout the day.
2. Muscular strength is the maximum amount of force a muscle can produce in a single
effort or how much you can lift in one attempt. Performing exercises that use your own
body weight, free weights, or weights on a machine are excellent ways to develop
muscle strength. Having muscular strength will ensure that you have the strength
needed to lift a heavy object, for example a box full of books.
3. Muscular endurance is your ability to contract your muscles several times without
excessive fatigue. Another way to think about it is the length of time your muscles can
continue to work before tiring. What this means is once you have picked up that heavy
box of books, you can then carry that box for a long period of time before you need to
take a break.
4. Flexibility is the range of motion that your joints have during movement. Maintaining
flexibility can improve your performance in physical activities in addition to decreasing
your risk of injuries by helping your joints move through their full range of motion,
therefore, allowing your muscles to work most effectively. Stretching and yoga can be
done to help improve your flexibility.
5. Body composition is the ratio of water, bone, muscle, and fat in the body. A healthy
body composition indicates that you may have less risk of developing obesity-related
diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and even some cancers.
