Unit II

PHYSICAL FITNESS
Introduction
Physical fitness is but one part of the total fitness that includes the mental,
emotional, and social aspects of the individual's total well-being. Physical fitness
is the result of the following factors:
1.good medical and dental care;
2.proper nutrition;
3.adequate rest and relaxation; and
4.regular physical activity and or exercises.

However, no single factor can suffice for meeting the needs of our society.
Physical fitness is not permanent. The fitness level of an individual deteriorates
once he stops his regular regimen of routinely exercises and physical activities.
Also, this activity will be useless without the other factors contributory to the total
fitness of an individual.

General Objectives:
At the end of the unit, the students are expected to:
*Define and explain Physical Fitness;
* Differentiate the components/concepts of Physical Fitness;
* Make generalizations on the concepts of Physical Fitness;
* Make general concepts of a physically fit person; and
* Discuss the benefits derived in executing the Physical Fitness Test.

Physical Fitness Defined

The Meaning, Concepts and Components of Physical Fitness
A. Health-Related Fitness
B. Performance-Related Fitness
C. Benefits and Parameters of Physical Fitness

Specific Objectives:
1.Define physical fitness;
2.Differentiate health-related fitness from performance related
fitness;
3.Discuss performance-related fitness;
4.Enumerate the benefits and parameters of Physical Fitness;
5.Make a general concept of physical fit person; and
6.Execute the Physical Fitness Test properly.

The Meaning, Concepts and Components of Physical Fitness

Physical Fitness is the ability to perform one's daily task efficiently without
undue fatigue but with extra \"reserve\" in case of emergency.
Being physically fit means being able to perform one's daily task efficiently
without undue fatigue and still have an extra energy to enjoy leisure activities and
/ or meet emergency demands.
Based on this definition, there are (3) three important aspects that an individual
should be able to meet in order to be considered physically fit. These include:

1.Being able to perform one's daily tasks without getting too tired before
the end of the day. These daily activities include:
a.Waking up in the morning to prepare for school or work
b.Going to school or office on time
c.Attending classes regularly
d.Doing assignments in the library
e.Meeting other individual, classmates and peer groups
f.Going home
g.Doing homework and household chores

2.Enjoying leisure time in some form of recreational activities. Leisure

time is the amount of time that is left after the daily routine activities of
an individual have been accomplished. Recreation, on the other hand,
refers to any activity that is participated in by the individual during
leisure time on voluntary basis because it provides an immediate
satisfaction to the individual. Recreation takes place in the form of:
a.Watching TV or movies
b.Talking to friends over the phone
c.Reading books and magazines articles
d.Doing arts and crafts
e.Listening to radio
f.Playing sports

3Meeting emergency demands such as:

a.Doing important errands
b.Performing social obligations
c.Attending to visitors
d.Attending to household problems

Concepts of Physical Fitness

1.Organic Vigor
— refers to the soundness of the heart and the lungs, which
contributes to the ability to resist diseases.
2.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.
3.Strength
— is the capacity to sustain the application of force without
yielding or breaking; the ability of the muscle to exert effort against the
resistance.
4.Power
refers to the ability of the muscle to release maximum force in a
shortest period of time.
5.Flexibility
- it is a quality of plasticity, which gives the ability to do a wide
range of movement.
6.Agility
— is the ability of an individual to change direction or position in
space with the quickness and lightness of movement.
7.Balance
is the ability to control organic equipment neuro-muscularly; a
state of equilibrium.
8.Speed
 — is the ability to make successive movements of the same kind in
the shortest period of time.

Components of Physical Fitness

The components of Physical Fitness are divided into two categories the health-
related components (Flexibility, Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Strength,
Muscular Endurance and Body Composition) and the performance-related
components (Agility, Balance, Coordination, Power, and Speed).

I. Health-Related Fitness
Health-Related Fitness
is a function of body's adaptation to exercise. It
could be developed and maintain through the regular and proper exercise
program. There are at least five (5) components of Health Related Fitness. They
are as follows:
A. Muscular Strength
refers to the ability of the muscle to exert maximum effort
in brief duration. It may be developed through isotonic, isometric, or isokinetic
contractions.
Isotonic Contractions are voluntary contractions in which muscles
shorten and lengthen alternately. The muscle contracts at varying speed
against a resistance. These contractions are of two types:
1.Concentric Contraction
— refers to muscles that shorten during exercise.
There is no movement that occurs and the length of the muscle remains
unchanged.

2.Eccentric Contraction
--- refers to the muscle that lengthens during an
exercise. Muscles exert force due to an outside resistance.
The most common example of isotonic contraction is calisthenics exercise.
This makes use of a body segment or the entire body weight as a form of
resistance during an exercise. Some of the most traditional calisthenics
exercises that are being performed to increase muscular strength are push-ups,
sit-ups, and pull-ups. Another approach to develop muscular strength involving
isotonic exercise is through the use of weights.

Isometric Contractions
are another type of contractions in which the
muscles are contracted against an immovable resistance. The exercise provides
maximum contraction of muscle; however, there is no observed movement
during the exercise. This is done for about 5 seconds.

Isokenetic Contractions
are similar to isotonic contractions but the
muscles are exposed to fixed machines with variable degrees of resistance.
Through the range of movement, resistance is equal to the force applied.

Two physiological benefits derived from strength training:

1.Increase muscle strength by 10-25% within 6-8 weeks; and
2.Increase muscle size or muscle hypertrophy
B.Muscular Endurance
refers to the ability of the muscle to endure a sub
maximal effort for a prolonged period of time. Performing a strength exercise
such as push-up over a long period of time or performing the same exercise
for many continuous repetitions is a demonstration of muscular endurance.
One basic requirement in achieving muscular endurance is muscular strength.
Muscle endurance is developed by employing the different strength training
exercises mentioned above either for longer periods of time or an increased
number of exercise repetitions.
C.Cardiovascular Endurance
refers to the ability of the heart, blood vessels
and the lungs to adapt to physical exertion for a prolonged duration. Usually,
the heart rate is increased from the resting pulse rate to target heart rate that
the individual has to sustain for a period of 20 to 60 minutes. With high levels
of endurance, an individual has more energy and has the ability to sustain
different types of activities. It is also likely that coronary heart disease (CHO)
is prevented

There are important variables to consider when engaging in any cardiovascular

endurance program.
These are:
1.Intensity which refers to how stressful the exercise is.
2.Duration which refers to how long will the exercise be performed.
3.Frequency which refers to the number of times the individual will
exercise each week.
4.Mode which refers to the kind of activity, selected such as brisk
working or jogging.

Physiological Benefits of Cardiovascular Training Program

1.Decreased resting heart rate;
2.Decreased recovery time from a bout of exercise;
3.Increased blood volume and red blood cells to transport oxygen
throughout the body;
4.Stronger heart muscle allowing it to eject more blood (stroke
volume) with each heartbeat. If this occurs, the heart can rest longer
between beats;
5.Increased number of capillaries for efficient exchange of oxygen,
carbon dioxide and nutrients between blood and body cells;
6.Decreased rate of respiration;
7.Increased aerobic capacity which allows the body cells to utilize
oxygen for better work efficiency; and
8.Prevent and/or reduction of the risk of developing coronary heart
Diseases.

Activities that develop cardiovascular endurance

1.Prolonged brisk walking 6. Continuous swimming
2.Prolonged jogging 7. Rowing
3.Stationary bicycling 8. Aerobic dancing
4.Prolonged skipping rope 9. Hiking
5.Playing basketball 10. Playing football

D.Flexibility
is the ability of the muscles and joints to go through a full range
motion. Flexibility reduces the risk of injury, enhances performance and
prevents muscle soreness. It is achieved through stretching designed to
lengthen or elongate soft tissue structures and thereby increase the range of
motion. Flexibility is influenced by three factors:

1.Structure of the joints;

2.Amount of tissues surrounding the joint; and
3.Extensibility of the ligaments, tendons and muscle tissue that connects the
joints.
It involves four basic movements, namely: flexion (bending of a body
segment), extension (straightening a body segment), abduction (moving a limb
away from the body), and adduction (moving a limb toward the body).
Body flexibility is achieved through stretching specific segments of the
body. To achieve good flexibility, exercise should be performed daily. For very
tight muscle-joint area, it is highly recommended that flexibility exercises be
done at least twice a day.

Types of Stretching (Basic Methods Used to Develop Joint Flexibility)

1.Ballistic Stretching
. Ballistic stretching uses muscle contractions to force
muscle elongation bobbing (i.e. up and down) movement quickly elongates
the muscle with each repetition; the bobbing also activates the stretch reflex
response (Nelson & Kokkonen, 2007). Usually this type of stretching uses in
sports like gymnastics and performs in a controlled manner.
Example: Ballistic stretching - forward bending done in rapid bouncing
movement

2.Static Stretching
. This involves slowly stretching a segment of the body to
the farthest point and holding that position for at least 15-30 seconds. This
type of stretching is fairly endorsed by many physical educators and exercise
psychologists because stretch is easy and pain free and the risk of injury is
very minimal.
It is performed without a partner and each stretch is easy and pain-free.
Once the stretcher has achieved its full range of movement and begins to feel
a mild discomfort (muscle tension) in the body part being stretched, the
position is held statically.
Example: Static stretching — seated hamstring stretch

3.Dynamic Stretching
. Dynamic stretching is the use of a muscle's own force
production and the body's momentum to take a joint through the full available
range of motion (Clark & Lucett, 2010a). Dynamic stretching is beneficial for
any sport that involves dynamic movement, especially in sports like athletics,
Football etc. that prepare the body to move better specifically before start of
an exercise or competition. Mason (201 la) suggested that in performing this
stretching the movement should be in a slow, controlled way, relaxed, and
breath steadily to execute properly.
Example: Alternate lunges (right & left)

4.Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)

. It involves the
contract-relax approach to stretching. During the contract-relax, the partner
attempts to move the limb at its lengthened range of motion and isometrically
resists the partner's attempt to move the limb into a deeper stretch. Then, the
stretcher relaxes the limb and the partner slowly moves the segment into a
new range. This type of stretching can be done active (i.e. w/o partner) or
passive (i.e. w/ partner).
Example: PNF hold-relax hamstring stretch

Fitness Benefits of Flexibility Exercise

1.Increased range of muscle joint motion;
2.Reduced muscle stiffness and increased body relaxation;
3.Improved blood circulation in specific body segment;
4.Reduced incidence of injury during a major sport event; and
5.Reduced risk of cardiovascular problems in exercise.

E.Body Composition
refers to the proportion of lean body mass to fat body mass.
It stresses one's relative fatness or leanness in relation to height. In recent years,
body composition has gained wide acceptance in exercise science as one of the
components of health-related fitness. Its inclusion was earlier opposed since
supporters believe that fitness is for everyone, including the slim and
overweight. In addition, being fat has some genetic predisposition that may be
quite difficult to alter.
he/she expects to achieve given a well-defined exercise program. Among athletes,
somatotype is highly correlated to excellent sport performance depending on the
type of sport event. For instance, it has been found that among track and field
athletes, physical characteristics of those successful in shot put differ from those
successful in marathon. This suggests that for one sport event, a specific body type
may dictate one's superior performance over another. However, some body type is
not only limited to one particular shape but can be a combination of two body types
(e.g. ectomorph and mesomorph) for instance, a high jumper athlete in athletics.

II. Performance Related Fitness

It refers to the quality of one's movement skill. It includes 5 general
components namely:
1.Balance
is the ability to maintain equilibrium in relation to changes in body
position. Balance can be categorized into static and dynamic balance. Static
Balance is the ability to maintain equilibrium in a fixed position such as
standing on one foot or on a balance beam. Dynamic Balance is the ability
to maintain one's equilibrium while the body is in motion. Walking on a
balance beam is one example of this type of balance.
2.Coordination
is the harmonious working relationship between the skeletal
muscle and nerves in one aspect of movement. Hand-eye coordination is
demonstrated in certain sport skills such as catching, passing, dribbling or
volleying a ball.
3.Agility
is the ability of an individual to quickly shift or change direction of
the body from one point to another.
4.Speed
is the ability to perform a task or move from one point to another in
the shortest possible time. It is also the time spent finishing or completing
a performance after the initial movement has been made. Speed is
influenced by the reaction time which is the time elapsed when the \"go\"
signal has been made by an official of the first motor response.

5.Power
is the ability to perform one maximum effort in a short period of
time. It is a product of both strength and speed as seen in many sport
activities such as track and field and weightlifting.
6.Reaction Time
is the ability to react to the interval of time between the
signal to respond (stimulus) and the beginning of the response.

Benefits of Physical Fitness

1.Vitality.
Muscles are basic for all body action. They increase in strength
with activity and deteriorate from lack of it. Fit muscles use less energy to
perform the same task, leading to an increase in vitality.
2.Posture.
A physically fit person is able to maintain his general postural
alignment better than one weak musculature. Good fitness as a program
stresses the development of antigravity muscles, which maintains good
abdominal wall and the arm and shoulder girdle.
3.Relieves Low back Pain
. A lack of physical activity has been found to be
major cause for some cases of pain in the lower back. Most adults who
suffer from low-back pain are relieved from this pain by exercises that
strengthen the back and abdominal muscles.
4.Retards Aging Process
. Continued participation in regular exercises of the
proper amount and severity is of considerable value in postponing that
usually takes place as a person grows old.
5.Physical fitness and Ability to Meet Emergencies
. Body that is
accustomed to sedentary living habits can usually operate ineffectively even
though it is operating at near maximum effort.
6.Neuromuscular Skill
. The smooth, efficient coordination of the muscular
system is improved as a result of regular participation in physical activity.
7.Relaxation
. Overactive minds in underactive bodies often need physical
outlets for accumulated emotional and muscular tensions that seem to be
relieved by actions of the skeletal 'Muscle.
8.Improvement of Personality and Social Skills
. Participation in games and
sports aids in improving the personality and in developing desirable social
skills.
9.Mental Fitness
.Because of the mental and physical relaxation that often
results from physical activity, regular exercise is thought by many to be of
considerable value in aiding the natural mental processes to function with
increased efficiency.
10.General Growth
. The physically fit person usually possesses a high degree
of general resistance, which enables him in successfully avoiding minor
illness.

The Parameters of Physical Fitness

Many proponents of physical education have various ideas on how to measure
physical fitness. Educators on physical education today separate the various
disciplines into four measurable parameters, which are:
1.Muscular Endurance
2.Muscular Strength
3.Cardio-respiratory Endurance
4.Joint Flexibility

The above parameters are considered the hard core of physical fitness. Without
strength, participation in physical activity is not possible and the fitness of the
individual is limited. When muscles are weak or lack endurance, all movements are
curtailed, since all movements depend on the strength of the muscle or groups of
muscles.
A fit individual can maintain a lower heart rate during activity which can supply
a greater volume of blood with each contraction of the heart and can recover more
quickly after exercise than a less fit individual.
As the late president John Fitzgerald Kennedy said, \"Physical Fitness\" is not
only one of the most important keys to a healthy body; it is the basis of dynamic,
creative, and intellectual activity in that intelligence and skill can function at the
peak of their capacity when the body is healthy and strong.\"