Physical Fitness and Health-Related Fitness Components
This domain tests whether you can define physical fitness, separate health-related from skill-related components, apply the FITT principle, and interpret simple fitness-test results.
Core distinctions
- Health-related components: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.
- Skill-related components: speed, agility, balance, coordination, power and reaction time.
- FITT: frequency, intensity, time and type. Training must also show overload, progression, specificity and reversibility.
- Strength is the maximum force one effort can produce; muscular endurance is repeated submaximal contractions. Power combines strength and speed.
Worked example
A 15-year-old wants moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory training. Estimated maximum heart rate = 220 − 15 = 205 beats per minute. Moderate intensity is 60–70%: 205 × 0.60 = 123 and 205 × 0.70 = 144, so the target is about 123–144 bpm. Vigorous 70–80% is about 144–164 bpm. Reasoning: convert the percentage to a decimal, multiply by the estimated maximum, then round to a sensible whole number. If a question names the Karvonen method and gives a resting rate, subtract resting rate first, apply the percentage, then add resting rate back.
Traps that cost marks
- Body composition is not the same as body weight; a muscular athlete can have a high BMI but low fat.
- Flexibility is joint-specific, so a sit-and-reach score does not describe every joint.
- Power is not pure strength; a shot putter needs strength and speed together.
- Do not list skill-related components as health-related, or vice versa.
- Frequency is how often, not how hard; intensity is how hard.