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6
Strength
is the capacity of a muscle to exert a force against resistance. Strength contributes to power and speed
and is of great importance to a majority of sports people.
Muscular Endurance
is the capacity to exert a force repeatedly over a period of time, e.g. it is the capacity of
your legs to carry you 10 km without stopping.
Flexibility
is the range of motion about a joint. Improving flexibility involves the stretching of muscles and
tendons to maintain or increase suppleness, and provides increased resistance to muscle injury or soreness.
Cardio-Respiratory Endurance
is the most essential component of physical fitness. It is the efficient
functioning of the heart and lungs.
WHAT TO WEAR
Wear clothing that will not restrict your movement in any way while exercising.
Cloths should be light enough to allow the body to cool. Excessive clothing that causes you to perspire more
than you normally would while exercising, gives you no advantage. The extra weight you lose is body fluid and
will be replaced with the next glass of water you drink.
It is advisable to wear a pair of gym or running shoes or “sneakers”.
BREATHING DURING EXERCISE
Do not hold your breath while exercising. Breathe normally as much as possible. Remember, breathing involves
the intake and distribution of oxygen, which feeds the working muscles.
REST PERIODS
Once you start your exercise program, you should continue through to the end. Do not break off halfway through
and then restart at the same place later on without going through the warm-up stage again.
The rest period required between strength training exercises may vary from person to person. This will depend
mostly on your level of fitness and the program you have chosen. Rest between exercises by all means, but do
not allow this to exceed two minutes. Most people manage with half minute to one-minute rest periods.
AEROBIC FITNESS
The largest amount of oxygen that you can use per minute during exercise is called your
maximum oxygen
uptake
(MVO2). This is often referred to as your
aerobic capacity
.
The effort that you can exert over a prolonged period of time is limited by your ability to deliver oxygen to the
working muscles. Regular vigorous exercise produces a training effect that can increase your aerobic capacity by
as much as 20 to 30%. An increased MVO2 indicates an increased ability of the heart to pump blood, of the
lungs to ventilate oxygen and of the muscles to take up oxygen.
ANAEROBIC TRAINING
This means “without oxygen” and is the output of energy when the oxygen supply is insufficient to meet the
body’s long-term energy demands. (For example, 100-meter sprint).
THE TRAINING THRESHOLD
This is the minimum level of exercise, which is required to produce significant improvements in any physical
fitness parameter.
PROGRESSION
As you become fitter, a higher intensity of exercise is required to create an overload and therefore provides
continued improvement.