Health

Raquel Fernandez                                                                                                                                                                                   October 15, 2009                                                                                                                                                                                  
Prof. Duncan Huie
HED 100/922

Exercise for Health and Fitness

The five health-related components of physical fitness which are most important are cardio respiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
Cardio respiratory endurance is the ability to perform prolonged, large-muscle, dynamic exercise at moderate to high levels of intensity. Cardio respiratory endurance is developed by activities that involve continuous rhythmic movements of large-muscle groups like those in the legs, which are used while walking and riding a bicycle. Cardio respiratory endurance is considered a critically important component of health-related fitness because the functioning of the heart and lungs is so essential to overall wellness. If levels of cardio respiratory fitness are low, the heart has to work very hard during normal daily activities. But as cardio respiratory fitness improves, the heart begins to function more efficiently.
Muscular strength is the amount of force a muscle can produce with a single maximum effort. Muscular strength can be developed by training with weights or by using the weight of the body for resistance during exercises such as push-ups and curl-ups. Muscular strength helps keep the skeleton in proper alignment, which helps in preventing back and leg pain and providing the support necessary for good posture. Greater muscle mass helps maintain a healthy body weight by helping to maintain a higher rate of metabolism and faster energy.
Muscular endurance is the ability to resist fatigue and sustain a given level of...