Define and describe fitness, health and exercise and evaluate the relationships between the three concepts

GCSE Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

Luke Tyler

Define and describe fitness, health and exercise and evaluate the

relationships between the three concepts

The word ‘fitness’ is very vague as fitness is built up of many factors. The main ones include, general Fitness, aerobic fitness and specific fitness.

General fitness is the ability to meet the demands of every day life. General fitness is closely liked with health related fitness and it has several components including Strength the force muscles exert when they contact. Flexibility or suppleness, the range of movement at a joint. Speed, is the ability to move your body or a section of your body quickly. Body composition, the percentage of fat and lean tissue in your body. If you have too much fat, or too little fat, you are seen as being unfit. Stamina, is the body’s ability to keep going for long periods without tiring. It is a combination of muscular and cardiovascular endurance. Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the circulatory system to deliver the oxygen muscles need (also known as aerobic fitness). Muscular endurance, is the ability of muscles repeating contractions without tiring

Aerobic fitness is the ability to transport oxygen around the body to muscles. It is also the ability to be able to exercise without tiring. If you have aerobic fitness, during periods of rest and in periods of exercise, your heart rate should be reasonable low.

Specific fitness is essential for the playing of certain sports. As well as having the specific fitness, it is essential to have general fitness as well. Examples of specific fitness include: explosive strength or power, agility, balance, co-ordination, and a quick reaction time.

The definition of ‘health’ is a state of complete physical, ...

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The definition of ‘health’ is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. All three are closely linked with each other and by falling ill may well affect your mental and social well-being. Another example of where the components affect each other is may be when you lose your job. This may affect your physical and mental well-being.

Physical well-being is when:

Your heart lungs and other body systems are working well
No illness or injury

Social well-being is when:

You have enough food, clothing and shelter
You have friends and support
You have a belief you have some value in society

Mental well-being is when:

You are able to cope with stress
You are able to control emotions
You are able to enjoy yourself
You have feelings of self-confidence and self-esteem

Exercise is closely related to health and fitness. By exercising and putting your body through activities that raises your blood pressure and heartbeat, it raises your fitness and makes you fitter as well as improving your health and making you healthy. By exercising you are forcing your muscles to work harder than what they are use to. Because of this, respiration speeds up in muscle fibres to provide the extra energy. This means more carbon dioxide forms and the level rises in your blood. The brain detects the rise in your blood and sends signals to your heart and lungs to work harder. The lungs and heart begin to work harder in order to remove unwanted Co2 (Carbon Dioxide). The heart pumps quicker and transports more oxygen, which is taken in by the lungs with each breath. This oxygen is delivered to the muscles for energy and to replace the unwanted Co2.

Fitness, health and exercise are three components that are closely linked to one and other. If you are fit, you will be healthy as you have a good physical, mental and social well-being. If you are healthy, you are able to meet the demands of the environment and the only way you can stay fit and healthy is by exercising.