Physical Fitness
Physical fitness questions test the components of fitness, the principles of training and simple measurement, rather than athletic trivia. Expect definitions with a short applied calculation.
Components of fitness
- Strength - maximum force a muscle group can exert.
- Muscular endurance - repeated effort over time.
- Cardiovascular endurance - the heart and lungs supplying oxygen during sustained work (running, swimming, boat pulling).
- Flexibility - range of movement at a joint.
- Speed and agility - moving quickly and changing direction.
- Coordination and balance - needed for drill, climbing and sailing.
Principles of training
Overload (work harder than the body is used to), progression (increase gradually), specificity (train the quality you need), reversibility (fitness is lost if training stops), and recovery (rest allows adaptation). Every session needs a warm-up to raise muscle temperature and a cool-down to prevent stiffness and pooling of blood.
Measurement
Body Mass Index = weight in kg ÷ (height in metres)². A simple fitness battery: 2.4 km run, sit-ups and push-ups in one minute, sit-and-reach and a shuttle run.
Worked example
A cadet weighs 60 kg and is 1.65 m tall. Height squared = 1.65 × 1.65 = 2.7225. BMI = 60 ÷ 2.7225 = 22.0, which falls in the normal range (roughly 18.5–24.9). The same cadet must be told that BMI alone does not measure fitness - a strong cadet with heavy muscle can show a higher figure.
Traps
Calculating BMI with height in centimetres; believing exercise alone builds fitness without rest and nutrition; skipping the warm-up; confusing muscular strength with muscular endurance; treating fitness as only running.
Nutrition supports all of this: a balanced diet with adequate carbohydrate for energy, protein for repair,iron and calcium-rich foods, and clean water before, during and after exertion.