One definition of the word fitness is "the ability of the body to meet the demands of the environment". When we are physically fit, the body systems work efficiently and are able to cope with the physical tasks that we perform every day. This concept of physical fitness is linked very closely to "Health" as it is to do with your general ability to function rather than purely sporting performance.

According to another definition of fitness, fitness is the "ability of the body to carry out everyday activities without excessive fatigue and with enough energy left over for emergencies". This means that, as well as performing our normal daily tasks, we can also perform additional physical activities including sport. There are what we call "components of Health Related Fitness" and if there is a good balance between the development of all of these, then we can say that a good level of Health Related Fitness has been reached.

The following components of HRF are important if the human body is to work efficiently:
Complete the following:
Endurance: The ability of the heart, blood vessels, blood, and respiratory system to supply fuel and especially oxygen to the muscles.

Muscular : The ability to exert an external force or lift a heavy weight.

Muscular : The ability of the muscles to repeatedly exert themselves.

: The range of motion at a joint and the ability of the muscles to stretch.

Body : The relative percentage of muscle, fat, bone and other tissues of which the body is composed.
A component of Health which is increasingly important in modern life is the ability to cope with stress, although this is not a component of the FITNESS element of health so we do not cover it in detail here.