Health-Related Fitness and Physical Activity
What this domain tests
Health-Related Fitness and Physical Activity tests whether you can distinguish health-related fitness components from skill-related ones, apply training principles, and design safe activity that meets public-health guidance.
Core rules
- Health-related components: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
- Skill-related components are different: speed, agility, balance, coordination, power, and reaction time.
- FITT means Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type. Progress one variable at a time.
- Training principles: overload, progression, specificity, reversibility, recovery, and individual differences.
- Moderate activity: breathing faster but able to talk. Vigorous: hard to talk in full sentences.
- Adults should aim for about 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly, plus strengthening twice weekly; children need about 60 minutes daily. Use a readiness screen and refer medical concerns.
Worked example
An inactive adult can walk briskly for 20 minutes, three days a week. The goal is to improve cardiorespiratory endurance. Apply FITT: Frequency 3 to 4 days; Intensity moderate by talk test or RPE 12–14; Time 20 to 30 minutes; Type brisk walking or cycling. In the first two weeks, add five minutes to one session rather than adding days and intensity together. Reasoning: overload is needed, but simultaneous increases raise injury and adherence risk. Reassess after two weeks.
Traps
- Confusing muscular strength (maximal force) with muscular endurance (repeated contractions).
- Calling agility or power health-related.
- Using static stretching as a substitute for a warm-up.
- Prescribing intense exercise before establishing technique or medical readiness.
- Judging body composition from appearance alone.
Exam focus
Name the component, apply FITT, and justify progression. A precise programme with a review point scores better than a list of exercises.