Body Composition and Flexibility

Body Composition — Ratio of relative fat-free mass to amount of the body fat.

Fat-Free Mass — Composed of the body’s non-fat tissue, including bone, muscle, organs, and connective tissue.

Body Types:

• Ectomorph (“Hard Gainers”) — Characterized as having long, slim, and thin muscles and low body fat storage; not predisposed to store fat nor build muscle.

• Endomorph — People with wider waists, large bone structure, and are predisposed to storing fat instead of building muscle.

• Mesomorph — Medium bones, solid torso, low fat levels, with wide shoulders and a narrow waist.

Body Mass Index — Measurement of body fat based on height and weight; BMI = weight (kg) / height (m²).

Waist-To-Hip Ratio — Helps determine overall health risk (higher result = higher risk of lifestyle diseases); WHR = waist circumference / hip circumference.

Flexibility — Capacity of a joint to move through its full range of motion without undue fatigue.

Measures of Flexibility:

• Zipper Test

• V-Sit Flexibility

Health Benefits of Being Flexible:

• Improves performance in physical activities.

• Decrease your risk of injuries.

• Helps joints move through their full range of motions.

• Stretching increases blood flow to the muscle.

• Reduces lower back pain.

Sample Exercises to Improve Flexibility:

• Yoga

• Tai Chi

• Pilates