-Cardiovascular fitness (aerobic capacity of the heart and lungs)
-Muscular strength (maximum amount you can lift in one effort)
-Muscular endurance (ability to continue using your muscles over time)
-Flexibility (range of motion around a joint)
-Body composition (percent body fat vs. lean muscle)
Individually, each of these 5 components of physical fitness can be assessed, quantified and measured to render a 'snapshot' of the different aspects of your fitness level.
If you train with a personal trainer, one of the first things they will ask of you before designing your fitness training program or workout plan, is to perform several fitness assessments.
The fitness tests may differ depending upon your age, physical activity experience, current medical status and personal goals.
But generally, you may be asked to perform some kind of cardiovascular test on a treadmill, step, stationary cycle or perhaps an indoor or outdoor track.
You may be asked to complete a maximum number of push-ups, or perform as many sit-ups as you can in a specified amount of time, to test for muscular endurance for example.
Your flexibility may be tested or measured as well.
And in all likelihood, your trainer will want to assess your body composition typically with the use of skinfold calipers or through anthropometric measurements using a simple tape measure.
These are just examples of some of the more common, fundamental tests used by many personal trainers.
However, there are a lot of different fitness assessments available for each of the 5 components of physical fitness.
Generally, all of these tests are standardized to ensure reliability and validity so that the scores are meaningful- irrespective of who is being tested.
Naturally, the issue is a little bit more complex and outside the scope of our discussion. Indeed, some tests carry greater standard errors of estimates and may therefore be less accurate.
However, any assessment can be very useful in gauging your progress over time when initial test results are compared against current ones.
Once your trainer has determined your scores, they will be compared to established norms.
Normative data are simply averages that have been documented over large populations to determine what may be considered 'poor', 'fair', 'average', 'good', or 'excellent' (or similar benchmarks).
This is how each of the 5 components of physical fitness is measured.
This is how you know how 'fit' you are in terms of cardiovascular capacity, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and how fat or thin you are.
In essence, this is the definition of physical fitness.
As you can imagine, it is quite possible for anyone to be fit in some of the 5 components of physical fitness but be unfit in some of the other components.
For example, you may be fit in terms of cardiovascular capacity but have poor flexibility.
Similarly, you may have great muscular endurance but need to improve your strength. Or, you may be thin but out of shape, and so on.
Your overall strengths and weaknesses will be analyzed by your trainer and a fitness training program or workout plan will be designed for you partly in consequence of your assessment results.
Regardless of your current level of physical fitness, it is important to note that you can improve upon any of the 5 components of physical fitness.
Ultimately, whether you train with a personal trainer or not, you can become more fit simply by doing a little bit more than you are currently doing, progressing gradually and safely by not over-exerting yourself beyond reason in any workout.
For example, if you can only walk for 10 minutes without getting tired, next time try walking for 11 or 12 minutes.
If you can only perform 6 or 7 sit-ups, set a goal of 8 or 9 for your next workout.
Even if you are in great shape and can handle heavy loads for most of your exercises, you should still progress slowly and carefully.
Build up your strength and stamina slowly, progressing gradually in small increments.
So, what should you do if you workout from home and don’t have access to a personal trainer who can test and measure your level of fitness?
Here’s a very useful and practical tip you can use immediately...
Journal your workouts.
Use a workout log to record how long and how hard you train aerobically. Record the weight training exercises you perform, the number of sets, reps and how much weight you lift for each exercise.
Use your workout logs from month to month to monitor your progress.
By comparing your current logs against your initial logs, you’ll have at your disposal a homemade assessment tool you can use to analyze your level of ability, measure and quantify your progress, and help you in determining your next workout goal.
Used properly and regularly, workout logs virtually eliminate guesswork and keep you engaged.
Remember...
Be sure you have been cleared for exercise by your doctor, if required.
If you are consistent and you persist with your workout, you will be surprised at the gains you can make in the coming months.
Before you know it, you too will be fit!
...And if anyone ever asks you to define physical fitness, you can tell them the true definition of physical fitness can only be quantified by measuring the 5 components of physical fitness: cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.
But, the 5 components of physical fitness aside, why should you make exercise part of your lifestyle?
Why is physical fitness important and how, exactly, will you stand to benefit from regular exercise?...
