A–B. Active Living and Movement Competence · Active Living and Movement: Move Well, Train Smart, Stay Safe

Why Fitness Matters: Components and Their Benefits

A2.2About 65 minutes

Learning goals

I can name and define the five health-related and six skill-related components of fitness.
I can explain short-term and long-term benefits of improving each kind of fitness.
I can explain how regular activity changes the heart, lungs, muscles, bones and brain.
I can match activities to the components they develop.

Words to know

cardiorespiratory endurance
The ability of the heart, lungs and blood vessels to deliver oxygen to working muscles over a long time.

muscular strength
The most force a muscle or muscle group can produce in one effort.

muscular endurance
The ability of a muscle to keep working (repeat or hold) without tiring.

flexibility
The range of motion around a joint.

body composition
The relative amounts of fat mass and lean mass (muscle, bone, organs, water) in the body.

skill-related fitness
Balance, agility, power, reaction time, speed and coordination: components that help you perform movement skills.

bone density
How tightly packed and strong bone tissue is. Weight-bearing and impact activity helps build it.

Remember from Grade 8

In Grade 8 you sorted fitness into health-related and skill-related components and chose activities to build each one. In Grade 9 the focus is on why: the short-term and long-term benefits of improving each kind of fitness.

Hook: what's in it for you?

Adults often say "exercise is good for you" as if that settles it. But what does it actually do? Some benefits show up today: you'll feel calmer and sleep better tonight. Others build up for years: a stronger heart, denser bones. Knowing both helps you stay motivated, especially on days when it's cold and the couch is warm.

Health-related component	What it is	Example activities
Cardiorespiratory endurance	Heart, lungs and blood vessels supply oxygen for a long time	Running, cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, skipping
Muscular strength	Maximum force in one effort	Lifting a heavy load a few times with good form, climbing
Muscular endurance	Repeating or holding without tiring	Planks, push-ups, wall sits, rowing, paddling
Flexibility	Range of motion at a joint	Yoga, stretching, dance, Pilates
Body composition	Relative amounts of fat mass and lean mass	Improved by regular activity together with healthy eating and sleep

The five health-related components are linked to health and disease prevention.

Skill-related component	What it is	Example activities
Balance	Keeping control of your body, still or moving	In-line skating, skateboarding, yoga, snowboarding
Agility	Changing direction quickly with control	Basketball, ultimate, tag, ladder drills
Power	Strength used quickly (force × speed)	Jumping, throwing, sprint starts
Reaction time	How fast you respond to a signal	Goalkeeping, sprint starts, badminton
Speed	Moving the body or a body part fast	Sprinting, fast skating
Coordination	Using senses and body parts together smoothly	Juggling, skipping, racquet sports, dance

The six skill-related components help you perform skills in sports and everyday movement.

A note about body composition

Body composition is a health-related component, but it is not about how someone looks. Healthy bodies come in many shapes and sizes, and teens' bodies change a lot during growth. In this course you will not measure body composition. What matters is the habits: regular activity, healthy eating and good sleep. Never comment on other people's bodies.

Short-term benefits (you can feel them soon)

More energy and less tiredness during the day.
Better mood and less stress and anxiety; activity helps your brain release chemicals that make you feel good.
Better sleep at night.
Sharper focus and memory for schoolwork.
More confidence as skills improve.
Skill-related gains, like better balance and quicker reactions, make games more fun and reduce falls.

Long-term benefits (they build up over months and years)

Cardiorespiratory endurance: a stronger heart that pumps more blood with each beat, healthier blood pressure, lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Muscular strength and endurance: easier daily tasks, better posture, support for joints and the lower back.
Flexibility: easier movement and a fuller range of motion as you get older.
Strong bones: your teen years are a key time for building bone density. Weight-bearing and jumping activities now help protect against osteoporosis (weak, brittle bones) later in life.
Body composition: a healthy balance of lean and fat mass, which lowers the risk of several chronic diseases.
Skill-related fitness: balance and coordination help prevent falls at every age, and the skills let you enjoy many activities for life.

Where the benefits happen in the body. Regular activity improves your brain, heart and lungs, muscles, joints and bones.

Some benefits arrive today (mood, energy, sleep); others build over months and years (a stronger heart, denser bones, lower disease risk).

Worked example

Let's analyse in-line skating

Nadia goes in-line skating on a park path three times a week for 40 minutes. Which components does she develop, and what are the short- and long-term benefits?

Health-related: continuous skating raises her heart rate, so it builds cardiorespiratory endurance. Pushing with her legs over and over builds leg muscular endurance.
Skill-related: staying upright on wheels develops balance; weaving around walkers and cracks develops agility and coordination.
Short-term benefits: better mood, less stress, more energy, better sleep that night.
Long-term benefits: stronger heart and lower disease risk; stronger legs; better balance that lowers the risk of falls.
Safety link: a helmet, wrist guards and knee pads protect her while she builds these benefits.

In-line skating builds cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular endurance, balance, agility and coordination, with both short-term (mood, energy, sleep) and long-term (heart health, balance) benefits.

Hands-on activity

Feel the short-term benefits: a before-and-after check

You need: running shoes, a timer, a notebook, and a place to walk or jog (park path, sidewalk or school track; go with a grown-up's OK).

Before: rate yourself from 1 (low) to 5 (high) on energy, mood, stress (5 = very calm) and focus. Do a quick focus test: count backwards from 100 by 7s for 30 seconds and record how far you got.
Warm up (5 min): easy walk, arm circles, leg swings holding a fence or wall.
Activity (20 to 25 min): brisk walk or jog at a moderate to vigorous pace (talk but not sing, or a little harder).
Cool down (5 min): slow walk and stretches for calves, quadriceps and hamstrings.
After (wait about 10 minutes, then sit quietly): rate energy, mood, stress and focus again, and repeat the count-back-by-7s test from 99 (99, 92, 85 ..., so you don't repeat the same numbers).
Reflect: Which ratings changed? Write two sentences about what you noticed.

Safety: Walk facing traffic if there is no sidewalk, wear bright or reflective clothing near dusk, and drink water. Stop if you feel unwell.

Just for fun

Agility means changing direction quickly with control. My cat has been doing agility training her whole life, mostly in the hallway at 3 a.m.

Your turn

Name the five health-related components of fitness.

Name the six skill-related components of fitness.

What is the difference between muscular strength and muscular endurance?

Give three short-term benefits of activity.

Give three long-term benefits of activity.

Why are the teen years important for bones?

More practice: warm-up

Which component: touching your toes easily?

Which component: a goalie stopping a quick shot?

Which component: running 5 km without stopping?

What is osteoporosis?

Which component: holding a plank for 60 seconds?

More practice: on your own

Explain how improving cardiorespiratory endurance helps the heart in the long term.

Explain why power depends on both strength and speed. Give a sports example.

Choose an activity that develops at least one health-related and two skill-related components, and explain.

A friend says, "I'm thin, so I don't need to exercise." Respond using what you learned.

Why do short-term benefits matter for motivation?

Challenge

Design a 30-minute session that develops at least one component from each kind of fitness. List the parts and the component each develops.

Grandparents often hear that balance training prevents falls. Explain why skill-related fitness has health benefits too.

Explain why the curriculum asks for both short-term and long-term benefits, using an example of a teen who stops being active.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a health-related component of fitness?

Which is a skill-related component of fitness?

Which is a short-term benefit of activity?

Power is best described as:

Why is weight-bearing activity in the teen years important?

Running 5 km mainly develops:

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Expectation A2.2 asks students to explain the short- and long-term benefits of improving health-related fitness (cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition) and skill-related fitness (balance, agility, power, reaction time, speed, coordination), and how training principles improve them. This lesson covers the benefits; the next lesson covers training principles.

How to help at home:

Notice and name short-term benefits together ("You seem calmer after that walk").
Ask your teen to name the components used in a sport you watch.

Common difficulties:

Mixing up strength and endurance. Strength is one big effort; endurance is many repeats or a long hold.
Thinking fitness is about appearance. Keep conversations focused on what the body can do and how it feels.

Sensitivity: Body composition is discussed without measurement. Please avoid comments about weight or shape; if your teen has body-image worries, talk with them and consider their health-care provider or school guidance staff.