In order to start our fitness journey, we must first understand the different dimensions of being physically fit. From these we can formulate our short-term goals and take little steps to the journey of fitness. With that, we should discuss the 11 Components of Physical Fitness.

These are divided into two: Health-related Components and Skill-related Components.

Health-related Components

• Cardiovascular Endurance – Ability of the body to perform aerobic exercises for extended periods of time. This can be improved through continuous aerobic exercises such as jogging or cycling.
• Muscular Endurance – How long a muscle can handle weight repetitions without fatigue. This can be improved through simple body weight exercises such as push-ups, planks, and squats.
• Strength – How much force your muscles can exert. This can be improved through the same exercises as muscular endurance. However, instead of doing set repetitions, opt to do the most you can and strive to do more reps the next session without straining your muscles.
• Flexibility – Ability of the body to move and bend. This can be improved through exercises that stretch the muscles such as yoga and dynamic warm-ups.
• Body Composition – Amount of body fat. Consistent physical activity and a proper diet should improve your body fat percentage while work outs increase muscle mass.

Skill-related Components

• Power – Ability of the body to exert maximum force quickly. This can be trained through jumping exercises such as squat jumps and box jumps.
• Speed – Ability of the body to finish a task quickly. This can be trained by building regular muscle mass.
• Agility – Ability of the body to move quickly and easily. This can be trained through cone taps and ladder drills.
• Coordination – Ability to accurately control your body movement. This can be trained through hand-eye coordination drills.
• Balance – Ability to balance the body. This can be trained using balance board drills or yoga.
• Reaction Time – Ability to quickly react and move the body accordingly. This can be trained through fast hand-eye coordination drills or even just regular running outside.

For a more in-depth look into these components, you can read this article by Origym which shows different tests for each component and more ways for training them.

https://origympersonaltrainercourses.co.uk/blog/components-of-fitness