Improving Your Fitness 
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Different types of exercise can help 
you evaluate and improve the 
various elements of fitness.
cardiorespiratory endurance 
muscular strength 
muscular endurance 
flexibility 
aerobic exercise 
anaerobic exercise
Elements of Fitness 
There are five elements of fitness that affect 
your health in different ways. 
The five elements are cardiosrespiratory 
endurance, muscular strength, muscular 
endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
Elements of Fitness 
If you have cardiorespiratory endurance, you 
can run a mile or go on a long hike without tiring. 
Cardiorespiratory endurance 
The ability of your heart, lungs, and blood 
vessels to send fuel and oxygen to your 
tissues during long periods of moderate to 
vigorous activity
Elements of Fitness 
You need muscular strength for all kinds of 
activities that put stress on your muscles, such 
as lifting, pushing, and jumping. 
Muscular strength 
The amount of force your 
muscles can exert
Elements of Fitness 
Muscular endurance gives you the power to 
carry out daily tasks without fatigue, such as 
carrying boxes up and down a flight of stairs. 
Muscular endurance 
The ability of your muscles to perform 
physical tasks over a period of time 
without tiring
Elements of Fitness 
Flexibility can improve your athletic 
performance and reduce your risk of muscle 
strain and other injuries. 
Flexibility 
The ability to move your body 
parts through their full range 
of motion
Elements of Fitness 
Your body composition is the ratio of fat to lean 
tissue in your body. 
Having low overall body fat reduces your risk of 
cardiovascular disease and other health 
problems associated with being overweight.
Evaluating Your Fitness 
You can use different tests to evaluate each 
element of your fitness. 
You can use tests to measure your 
cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength 
and endurance, and flexibility.
Measuring Cardiorespiratory Endurance 
You can evaluate your 
cardiorespiratory endurance by 
doing a three-minute step test.
Measuring Muscular Strength and Endurance 
You can measure the strength and endurance of 
your abdominal muscles by doing a partial curl-ups 
test.
Measuring Muscular Strength and Endurance 
You can measure the 
strength and endurance 
of your upper body by 
doing a right-angle 
push-ups test.
Measuring Flexibility 
The sit-and-reach 
test measures 
the flexibility of 
your lower back 
and hamstring 
muscles.
Getting Fit 
Use different forms of exercise to improve 
the various elements of your fitness. 
Most exercises and activities fit into two basic 
categories: aerobic and anaerobic.
Getting Fit 
Aerobic exercise raises your heart rate and 
increases your body’s use of oxygen. Jogging, 
swimming, and riding a bike are examples. 
Aerobic exercise 
All rhythmic activities that use large 
muscle groups for an extended 
period of time
Getting Fit 
Sprinting and lifting weights are examples of 
anaerobic exercise. 
Anaerobic exercise 
Intense, short bursts of activity in 
which the muscles work so hard 
that they produce energy without 
using oxygen
Improving Cardiorespiratory Endurance 
Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate and 
pumps more blood throughout your body. 
Over time, your heart and lungs adapt to the 
demands made by aerobic activity by working 
more efficiently.
Improving Muscular Strength and Endurance 
Anaerobic exercises improve muscular strength 
and endurance. 
Exercises like lifting weights strengthen the 
muscles and are known as resistance or strength 
training.
Improving Muscular Strength and Endurance 
Ways to Use Resistance to Work Your Muscles 
Isometric 
Exercises 
Isotonic 
Exercises 
Isokinetic 
Exercises
Improving Muscular Strength and Endurance 
Isometric exercises use muscle tension to improve 
strength with little or no movement of the body 
part. 
Pushing against a wall or other immovable object 
is an example of isometric exercise.
Improving Muscular Strength and Endurance 
Isotonic exercises combine movement of the joints 
with contraction of the muscles, building flexibility 
and strength. 
Lifting free weights or doing calisthenics, such as 
pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups are examples of 
isotonic exercises.
Improving Muscular Strength and Endurance 
Isokinetic exercises exert resistance against a 
muscle as it moves through a range of motion at a 
steady rate of speed. 
Various types of weight machines and other 
exercise equipment provide isokinetic exercise.
Improving Flexibility 
Stretching exercises improve your flexibility, 
circulation, posture, and coordination. 
They also reduce your risk of injury during other 
activities.
Exercise and Bone Strength 
Weight-bearing exercises work with gravity, and 
are good for strengthening bones. 
Strength training, walking, aerobics, and dancing 
are all weight-bearing exercises.
After You Read 
Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary 
1. What are the five elements of fitness? 
Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular 
strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, 
body composition
After You Read 
Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary 
2. Which element of fitness does the sit and 
reach test measure? 
Flexibility
After You Read 
Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary 
3. What kind of exercise would you do to 
improve your cardiorespiratory 
endurance? 
Aerobic exercise
Ch12 02

Ch12 02

  • 1.
    Improving Your Fitness (1:48) Click here to launch video Click here to download print activity
  • 2.
    Different types ofexercise can help you evaluate and improve the various elements of fitness.
  • 3.
    cardiorespiratory endurance muscularstrength muscular endurance flexibility aerobic exercise anaerobic exercise
  • 4.
    Elements of Fitness There are five elements of fitness that affect your health in different ways. The five elements are cardiosrespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
  • 5.
    Elements of Fitness If you have cardiorespiratory endurance, you can run a mile or go on a long hike without tiring. Cardiorespiratory endurance The ability of your heart, lungs, and blood vessels to send fuel and oxygen to your tissues during long periods of moderate to vigorous activity
  • 6.
    Elements of Fitness You need muscular strength for all kinds of activities that put stress on your muscles, such as lifting, pushing, and jumping. Muscular strength The amount of force your muscles can exert
  • 7.
    Elements of Fitness Muscular endurance gives you the power to carry out daily tasks without fatigue, such as carrying boxes up and down a flight of stairs. Muscular endurance The ability of your muscles to perform physical tasks over a period of time without tiring
  • 8.
    Elements of Fitness Flexibility can improve your athletic performance and reduce your risk of muscle strain and other injuries. Flexibility The ability to move your body parts through their full range of motion
  • 9.
    Elements of Fitness Your body composition is the ratio of fat to lean tissue in your body. Having low overall body fat reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems associated with being overweight.
  • 10.
    Evaluating Your Fitness You can use different tests to evaluate each element of your fitness. You can use tests to measure your cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.
  • 11.
    Measuring Cardiorespiratory Endurance You can evaluate your cardiorespiratory endurance by doing a three-minute step test.
  • 12.
    Measuring Muscular Strengthand Endurance You can measure the strength and endurance of your abdominal muscles by doing a partial curl-ups test.
  • 13.
    Measuring Muscular Strengthand Endurance You can measure the strength and endurance of your upper body by doing a right-angle push-ups test.
  • 14.
    Measuring Flexibility Thesit-and-reach test measures the flexibility of your lower back and hamstring muscles.
  • 15.
    Getting Fit Usedifferent forms of exercise to improve the various elements of your fitness. Most exercises and activities fit into two basic categories: aerobic and anaerobic.
  • 16.
    Getting Fit Aerobicexercise raises your heart rate and increases your body’s use of oxygen. Jogging, swimming, and riding a bike are examples. Aerobic exercise All rhythmic activities that use large muscle groups for an extended period of time
  • 17.
    Getting Fit Sprintingand lifting weights are examples of anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise Intense, short bursts of activity in which the muscles work so hard that they produce energy without using oxygen
  • 18.
    Improving Cardiorespiratory Endurance Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate and pumps more blood throughout your body. Over time, your heart and lungs adapt to the demands made by aerobic activity by working more efficiently.
  • 19.
    Improving Muscular Strengthand Endurance Anaerobic exercises improve muscular strength and endurance. Exercises like lifting weights strengthen the muscles and are known as resistance or strength training.
  • 20.
    Improving Muscular Strengthand Endurance Ways to Use Resistance to Work Your Muscles Isometric Exercises Isotonic Exercises Isokinetic Exercises
  • 21.
    Improving Muscular Strengthand Endurance Isometric exercises use muscle tension to improve strength with little or no movement of the body part. Pushing against a wall or other immovable object is an example of isometric exercise.
  • 22.
    Improving Muscular Strengthand Endurance Isotonic exercises combine movement of the joints with contraction of the muscles, building flexibility and strength. Lifting free weights or doing calisthenics, such as pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups are examples of isotonic exercises.
  • 23.
    Improving Muscular Strengthand Endurance Isokinetic exercises exert resistance against a muscle as it moves through a range of motion at a steady rate of speed. Various types of weight machines and other exercise equipment provide isokinetic exercise.
  • 24.
    Improving Flexibility Stretchingexercises improve your flexibility, circulation, posture, and coordination. They also reduce your risk of injury during other activities.
  • 25.
    Exercise and BoneStrength Weight-bearing exercises work with gravity, and are good for strengthening bones. Strength training, walking, aerobics, and dancing are all weight-bearing exercises.
  • 26.
    After You Read Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary 1. What are the five elements of fitness? Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition
  • 27.
    After You Read Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary 2. Which element of fitness does the sit and reach test measure? Flexibility
  • 28.
    After You Read Reviewing Facts and Vocabulary 3. What kind of exercise would you do to improve your cardiorespiratory endurance? Aerobic exercise