Health
A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or infirmity.
Fitness
The ability to meet the demands of the environment and maintain physical health.
General fitness
The ability to carry out everyday tasks without excessive tiredness.
Specific fitness
The type of fitness required for a specific sport or activity.
Agility
The ability to move and change direction quickly while maintaining control.
Balance
The ability to keep the body stable by maintaining the center of mass over the base of support.
Cardiovascular endurance
The ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to the working muscles.
Coordination
The ability to use two or more different parts of the body together smoothly and efficiently.
Flexibility
The range of movement possible at a joint.
Muscular endurance
The ability of a muscle or muscle group to undergo repeated contractions without fatigue.
Power
The product of strength and speed, or explosive strength.
Reaction time
The time taken to start responding to a stimulus.
Speed
The maximum rate at which an individual can perform a movement or cover a distance.
Strength
The ability to overcome resistance.
Maximal strength
The greatest force possible in a single maximum muscle contraction.
Static strength
The amount of force exerted on an object that cannot be moved.
Principles of training
Guidelines that ensure effective training and result in positive adaptations and improved performance.
Specificity
Training specific to the sport or activity being performed.
Progressive overload
Gradually increasing the amount of overload to achieve fitness gains without the potential for injury.
Reversibility
Fitness levels are lost when training is stopped, and gains made through training are lost more quickly than they are achieved.
Tedium
The boredom that can occur from training the same way every time, requiring variety in a training program to maintain motivation.
Frequency
How often you train.
Intensity
How hard you train.
Time
How long you train for.
Type
The specific method of training.
Training thresholds
Measures of intensity to ensure working within the target training zone.
Aerobic training zone
Develops the ability to work aerobically.
Anaerobic training zone
Develops the ability to work anaerobically.
Circuit training
A series of exercises completed one after another with brief periods of rest in between.
Continuous training
Working for a sustained period of time without rest.
Interval training
Alternating between periods of work and rest.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Alternating between short periods of intense work and periods of active recovery.
Fartlek training
Periods of fast work with intermittent periods of slower work, usually in an outdoor environment.
High altitude training
Training at high altitudes to benefit endurance athletes by increasing red blood cell production.
Plyometric training
High-impact exercises that teach muscles to perform maximum contractions faster.
Static stretching
Holding a stretch still for up to 30 seconds to increase muscle flexibility.
Weight training
Using weights or resistance to cause muscle adaptation.
Rest and recovery
Giving the body appropriate rest between training sessions or competitions to allow for recovery.
Injury prevention
Following guidelines to optimize training and avoid injury.
Warm-up
Preparing the body for physical activity by raising body temperature, increasing range of movement, and delivering oxygen to working muscles.
Cool-down
Allowing the body's systems to recover after exercise by reducing heart rate, removing waste products, and preventing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).