There are six types of specific fitness that most sports men need them.
Agility - to be able to change direction at speed. Rugby player Gareth Thomas would need this so he can run in between defences.
Balance – to be able to stay up and not fall over. Gymnasts need this when balancing on a beam.
Coordination – to move accurately and smoothly. Roger Federer needs this when playing tennis so he can keep his eye on the ball while putting his racket into position.
Explosive strength – group strength combined with speed. Sprinter, Justin Gatlin would need this for the 100m.
Fast reaction – reacting quickly. Boxer Mohammed Ali dodging a punch by George Forman.
Good timing - reacting at just the right moment. Tiger Woods would need this when playing golf so he knows when to hit the ball.
Your lifestyle affects your performance in sport.
Your lifestyle can affect your performance and your health. There are various factors in your lifestyle that can help your performance.
Personal hygiene can affect your performance in sport because if you do not stay clean you can get many diseases.
Lifestyle can affect your performance in sport because if you do not have physical exercise in your lifestyle you can become unfit.
Emotional health can affect your performance in sport because if you do not feel good you cannot fully concentrate on the sport ahead.
Alcohol/drug use can affect your performance in sport because drinking alcohol or taking drugs can lead to poor health.
Safety can affect your performance in sport because if you have a dangerous job or have a dangerous hobby you can injure yourself easier.
Environment can affect your performance in sport because if you live somewhere where there is pollution it can affect your health.
Diet can affect your performance in sport because if you do not eat food with proper nutrients in it, you can become unhealthy.
Your body composition can affect your performance because if you are a different size you can have different abilities. i.e. someone who is thin (ectomorph) should beat a man at running who is fat (endomorph). This is because a man who is fat has to carry more weight. Therefore, your weight can affect your performance.
Evaluating lifestyle factors
There are many lifestyle factors that improve your performance.
Height & Weight
Your height can be a disadvantage and an advantage in different sports. For example, a tall person would be better at basketball but would not be as good in horse riding. Your weight is can also be an advantage and a disadvantage. For example, a heavier person would be better at rugby but would not be as good doing gymnastics.
Illness & Injury
An injury can be temporary or permanent. Many sportsmen can get injured and some can ruin their career. For most sports, you have to wear certain equipment. i.e. in football, you have to wear shin pads. Illness can also affect your ability to perform. You do not have as much energy when you are ill so sportsmen do not play.
Psychological factors
This is the mental strength required to make someone compete. For example if you are losing a competition you should not become stressed but be determined to overcome the situation and attempt to succeed.
Disabilities
Having a disability can affect your fitness, but by doing certain activities you can reach a high level of fitness. There are still many sports you can compete in. for example, if you are paralyzed in the legs, you can build up your upper body strength to compete in sports such as wheelchair basketball, where you need strong arm muscles to move the wheels round the court.
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking
Alcohol, drugs and smoking are all bad for your health and your general fitness in both the short term and long term. Your abilities decrease and it is much harder to do everyday activities. Some sportsmen do have a drink of alcohol and it can cause bad media but it is very unhealthy to drink alcohol regularly.
Diet
The foods we eat are very important. There are many nutrients that we need to eat:
- Carbohydrates – pasta has a high level of carbohydrates in them. Carbohydrates give you energy and can help you go on for longer and long distance runners such as Paula Radcliffe would eat these to help her. Males generally need more energy than females especially during growth.
- Protein – helps you build muscles and can improve your health. Fish and meat have high levels of protein and low levels of fat in them. Body builders and weight lifters would eat a lot of protein to help them in their sport.
- Fats – is a nutrient that you need to maintain a healthy body but too much can inhibit your performance. Oil has a lot of fat in it so having oil over too much of your food can become very unhealthy. All sportsmen would avoid eating too much fat.
- Vitamins and Minerals – you need to eat these everyday to maintain a healthy body. Fruit and vegetables are the best food to eat. You need to eat at least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day if you do this your body is very healthy. All sportsmen will eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
All sports require players to wear safety equipment to prevent temporary or permanent injuries. Football players have to wear shin pads to prevent injuring their calves; the calves are a very important muscle in football. In every sport you have to warm up before the sport begins, you do this to get the muscles warmed and to prevent injuries. You also have to have a warm down after a sporting event. You need to do this so your muscles relax and are not so tense after exercise so you do not pull anything.
Keeping fit is a good way of keeping your body healthy. If a fat person wanted to become fit I would recommend that they look at their diet and the amount of food they eat. I would advise them to reduce the amount of fat they eat and eat more nutritious foods i.e. fruits vegetables. I would also recommend that they increase the amount of activities they do by exercising for a certain length of time a day. As they build their stamina up they should find it easier to increase the amount they do each day and this should help them lose weight.
When you are overweight, your body has to work harder but becoming fit it starts to become easier. Your stamina, speed, suppleness and strength should all increase.
