Different types of fitness

Many people have ideas that "fitness" is "just fitness" and that's that. If you "are" or "are not" fit. It is not that simple. So is a cyclist is as fit as a boxer? It is a different type of training to reach their goal that is suited to that specific event.

So how do these differences come about? Well, there are different aspects of fitness and each of these aspects of fitness are developed in different ways and each can have a different effect on your chooses sport. The different types of fitness are outlined below:

Cardio-respiratory endurance - is the ability of the heart and lungs to get oxygen to the muscles, so that the muscles can perform for a long time. This type of fitness can be developed by exercising in your training zone at lease three times per week for a duration of at least twenty minutes.

Stamina - This is a combination of muscular endurance and cardio-respiratory endurance.

Muscular endurance - is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to perform for a long time. This can be developed through weight lifting and exercises such as press ups, sit-ups etc. One very important point to note about developing muscular endurance is that you must exercise with high reps and low weight to get the desired effect.

Strength - is the greatest force a muscle can produce in pushing, pulling, lifting or striking actions. This type of fitness is usually developed by following a weight lifting program. An important point to remember is to exercise with low reps and high weight.

Power - is how ability of the body to produce an explosive effort. It is created by combining speed and strength.

Speed - is how quickly muscles can move the joints. Speed can apply to the movement of the whole body, or to the movement of a part of the body, like the arm.

Flexibility or suppleness - is the ability to stretch muscles so that a joint has a large range of movement. Flexibility can be affected by injury, muscle,tendons, ligaments and skin.

You need to be specific to your sport - there is not point in developing your stamina if your a long jumper; you would be looking to develop flexibility and power. In terms of general fitness the most important aspect would be cardio-vascular stamina which brings major benefits to your heart and lungs and so improves your overall health.