What are the components of fitness and how do I get fit? Fitness Training Expert

Bridgeman Fitness Home What is fitness and how do I get fit? I was asked what fitness is and how one actually gets fitter whilst teaching a circuit training class the other week. It was not really the fitness methods that this chap wanted to know, but more the specific adaptations within the body that occur when one is training to get fit. It made me realise that some people are not aware of the adaptations that occur within their body as a result of their fitness regime. In order to write about how one gets fit, It makes sense to write about what the components of fitness actually are. What is fitness? What components make up fitness? When answering the question “What is fitness” it is important to consider the actual components of fitness. There are several different components or types of fitness including the following: • Co-ordination • Agility • Balance • Reaction time • Power • Strength • Endurance • Flexibility • Speed Different sports and activities require different amounts of these fitness components. For example if you wanted to get fit for cycling you may not need as much time spent on agility training as a football player would. If you wanted to get fit for Olympic lifting, you would need more strength than a marathon runner. Some of these components of fitness require more physical adaptations, others more mental/neural adaptations. If you want to get fit for general fitness and health purposes your training should cater for both types of adaptation. Performing a high step up for example requires and can develop balance and co-ordination (mental). It can also be used to develop specific flexibility, strength or endurance through this range (physical). Compare this to a seated leg extension which hardly requires any balance or co-ordination at all. How are these fitness components defined? Co-ordination – the ability to move in an efficient and correct manner. Agility – how quickly we can change direction and vary our movements. Balance – the ability to control our bodies posture and maintain certain positions. Reaction time – the speed at which we react or respond to a stimuli Power – the ability to contract our muscles strongly in a very explosive manner (force x distance/time) Strength – the amount of force the muscles can generate Endurance – the muscles ability to perform repetitive work, also the hearts ability to deliver blood to these muscles constantly Flexibility – the range of movement around a joint or series of joints Speed – how quick we can perform a movement How does training these components get me fit? If the frequency, intensity, time and type of training are sufficient enough, our body will adapt to the specific demands placed upon it. Frequency, intensity, time and type of exercise are a few fitness variables. They can be changed to create additional overload to enhance our fitness. This change in our body through training is often referred to as the SAID principle – Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. One must create sufficient overload within their training to encourage adaptation within their body, therefore allowing one to become fitter. To me overload is doing more than what I have previously done. There must be enough of a training stimulus to cause change within the body. Quite simply it is the manipulation of different training variables that will get you fit. Keep checking out my fitness articles for more ideas on how to get fit. What happens inside my body when I get fitter? So to my original question - you have chosen to get fit, but do not know what happens when you get fit. I will explain what happens using a number of examples within the body.  A heart that is regularly beating faster due to exercise will eventually adapt. One adaptation is that the amount of blood pumped out per heart beat is increased. This is known as stroke volume. The heart increases its ability to send more oxygenated blood to the muscles.  If a muscle is being used regularly it has the capacity to increase the number of capillaries (small blood vessels) that supply it with oxygen, nutrients and hormones within the blood.  Muscle cells contain small structures called mitochondria. These supply the cell with energy. The accumulation of these mitochondria contributes towards the amount of work our muscles can do. A response to getting fitter is an increase in the amount and size of mitochondria present. Our muscles get more energy; therefore they can do more work. Our muscles can also increase in size.  When we touch something hot we instantly move our hand away. This is an automatic reflex action controlled by our nervous system (brain and nerves). Enough exposure to a training stimulus in the gym can make us better at that exercise. It basically increases the efficiency with which our brain sends a message to our muscles. It becomes easier.  To allow one to get fitter the body is quite remarkable. We have various messengers within our body called neurotransmitters. These can facilitate an action (allow it to happen), or inhibit an action (prevent it from happening). The body can reduce its sensitivity to the transmitters that prevent something happening (not listen to them). It can also reduce the amount of these transmitters. This is not an exhaustive list but hopefully explains a few changes out body goes through when we are training to be fit. Remember you must consider what you want to be fit for. If you are training to be fit for running, yet all you do is row there are a lot of specific adaptations you may miss out on. Fitness training is very specific. If you want your legs to have more fitness they must be trained. If you want the heart to be fitter, you need to make it beat more! In other articles I will write about different options for getting fit, such as home fitness training, outdoor fitness training and provide some sample training plans and ideas.

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