Lesson video

Hi there.

Welcome to your lesson.

Today's lesson is on the components of fitness and the relative importance to physical activity and sport.

My name's Ms. Hacking, and I'm really looking forward to being your teacher today.

So by the end of today's lesson, I'm hoping that we can all apply the components of fitness to various physical activities and justify their importance on performance.

Today's keywords include some of the components of fitness.

Flexibility, which is the range of motion of your joints or the ability of your joints to move freely.

Power, which is the ability to undertake strength performances quickly.

Agility is the ability to control the movement of the whole body and change position quickly.

And balance is being able to keep the body stable while at rest or in motion.

Reaction time is the time between the presentation of a stimulus and the onset of movement.

These are all components of fitness that we may be talking about in today's lesson.

Today's lesson is split into three parts.

In the first part of today's lesson, we're going to apply fitness components to a 100-meter sprinter.

In the second part of today's lesson, we're going to apply fitness components to a gymnast.

And in the final part of today's lesson, we're going to apply fitness components to a badminton player.

Let's get started.

So, in order for a 100-meter sprinter to be successful, they need to beat their opponents in their race.

Oh, Andeep's asking us, "Can you think of which components of fitness you think a 100-meter sprinter would need to be successful?" You may have thought about some of these.

Perhaps you got some of them but not all of them.

Speed, power, strength, reaction time, flexibility, and balance.

These are all components of fitness that would help and benefit the 100-meter sprinter's performance.

So speed is the rate at which an individual can perform a movement or cover a distance.

So a 100-meter sprinter would need speed to move their arms and legs quickly so they can run faster than their opponents and win the race.

This is probably the most obvious component of fitness for a sprinter, and I'm sure you thought about this when asked what components of fitness a 100-meter sprinter would need.

Okay, let's have a go at a check.

True or false? A 100-meter sprinter only requires speed in order to have a successful performance.

That's false.

Can you tell me why? Yeah, a 100-meter sprinter would require speed but also would require other components of fitness too, such as power, strength, reaction time, balance, flexibility, all to aid their performance.

Well done if you said something along those lines.

A 100-meter sprinter needs strength to power their movements, such as explode off the starting blocks, drive off the floor, and push over the finish line.

Flexibility is the range of motion of your joints or the ability of your joints to move freely.

So a 100-meter sprinter needs flexibility to ensure a full range of motion in their joints, allowing efficient, powerful strides and reducing the risk of injury.

Reaction time is the time between the presentation of a stimulus and the onset of movement, and a 100-meter sprinter would need good reaction time to respond instantly to the starting gun and get a fast start.

In a 100-meter sprint, matter of seconds can make the difference between first and second place.

Therefore, if you can make up any time, particularly at the start by having really quick reaction time, you're more likely to end up in a better position when you finish the race.

Balance is being able to keep the body stable while at rest or in motion, and a 100-meter sprinter requires balance to stay steady and controlled during explosive movements, preventing them from falling or losing speed.

Even just a slight wobble when they're running can slow them down and cost them crucial seconds in a race.

So therefore, balance is really, really important for a 100-meter sprinter to make sure they don't fall and injure themselves, but also to make sure they get the quickest time possible.

Okay, let's have a go at a check.

Which component of fitness is not required by a 100-meter sprinter? Is it A, strength? Is it B, cardiovascular endurance? Is it C, power? Or is it D, balance? Well done if you spotted it was B, cardiovascular endurance.

A 100-meter sprinter will probably run a 100-meter sprint in less than 20 seconds 'cause therefore we know that having good cardiovascular endurance means the body is able to supply oxygen to the working muscles for an event that's over 20 minutes.

Okay, now it's your turn to have a go at a practise task.

For the first part of the task, I would like you to justify the importance of power for a 100-meter sprinter.

And don't forget that power is the ability to undertake strength performances quickly.

You may wish to pause the video now to give yourself time to complete the task.

So you were asked for your practise task to justify the importance of power for a 100-meter sprinter.

So you might have said something along these lines.

Power is required at the start of the race to get a fast, explosive start out of the blocks to gain advantage over an opponent.

You might have said that whilst running, power is required with each stride to drive off the floor with momentum to move quicker.

And you might have said that power is important at the end of the race to push over the line ahead of other competitors.

So well done if you've said something along those lines.

You've applied how power is useful for a 100-meter sprint by giving specific practical examples within their race.

Well done.

Okay, we're now going to move on to the second part of today's lesson.

In this part of the lesson, we're going to apply fitness components to a gymnast.

A gymnast's role is to perform athletic moves on different equipment with control to show off their skills to the judges.

And Jacob's asked us, "Which components of fitness do you think a gymnast would need to be successful?" You may have thought about some of these components of fitness, strength, power, flexibility, muscular endurance, balance, speed, reaction time, and coordination.

These components of fitness are all needed by the gymnast in order to have a successful performance.

However, some may vary depending on which apparatus or which activity within gymnastics the gymnast is performing.

Let's have a look at it in a bit more detail.

So, the obvious one that I'm sure you'll have thought about is flexibility.

A gymnast needs flexibility in order to perform movements and skills effectively.

And examples of movements that require good flexibility include the side splits or backwards walkover.

You probably can think of lots of other examples too.

Okay, let's have a go at a check.

Which gymnastics skill would require the most flexibility? Would it be A, the plank? Would it be B, the side splits? Or would it be C, the V-sit? Yeah, that's right.

It's B, the side splits.

The other two would require muscular endurance and muscular strength.

A gymnast needs good muscular joints to repeatedly contract their muscles during a routine without tiring, as this could negatively affect the quality of their performance.

They might not score as high if they are getting fatigued because they won't have as good a quality of their performance.

Strength is the amount of force a muscle can exert against a resistance, and a gymnast needs strength to support the body during complex movements.

For example, holding a handstand or performing a muscle-up.

Again, I think you could probably think of some other examples where a gymnast would need muscular strength.

Here we have an example of a gymnast holding the crucifix position in the rings, which is a really hard move to hold.

And without good muscular strength, they would not be able to hold it for very long.

A gymnast needs power to perform explosive movements, such as jumping high for a vault, executing dynamic tumbling passes, and launching off the springboard with speed and strength.

Okay, let's have a go at a check.

What would happen if a gymnast did not have good muscular endurance? If a gymnast did not have good muscular endurance, they would fatigue, which could lead to mistakes or falls in their routine.

Well done if you said something along those lines.

A gymnast needs good reaction time to adapt quickly to unexpected situations, maintain balance, and prevent injuries during their routines.

For example, while performing a backflip on a beam, a gymnast might lose balance and need to react quickly to stay on the beam and prevent a fall.

A gymnast needs speed to gain momentum to complete skills effectively, such as a fast run up to the vault and performing fast rotations on the bar.

A gymnast needs balance to be able to hold complex positions without falling.

It is particularly beneficial on a beam to avoid falling off during a routine.

We don't want the gymnast to get injured.

Therefore, good balance, particularly on things like the beam, is important.

And it's really important for landing things like the vault as well.

Okay, let's have a go at a check.

True or false? Having good reaction time can prevent a gymnast from getting injured.

That's true.

Can you tell me why? Yeah, so if a gymnast began to fall on the bars, having good reaction time could help them land safely or reach a bar without falling, which could prevent an injury.

So well done if you said true there.

Okay, now it's your turn to have a go at a task.

I'd like you to complete the table to identify and justify which component of fitness is needed by the gymnast.

The examples include performing the splits, jumping high for a vault, and holding their body weight in a crucifix position.

You may wish to pause the video now to give yourself time to complete the table.

Okay, so for the first part of the task, you were asked to complete the table to identify and justify which component of fitness is needed by the gymnast.

For example, performing the side splits would require flexibility, and this is needed at the hips to achieve full range of motion without strain or injury.

Jumping high for a vault would require power and the explosive force needed to push off the springboard and achieve the height necessary for successful flips, twists, and a controlled landing.

Holding their body weight in a crucifix position would need incredible strength, and this is to engage their core, arms, and shoulders to support and stabilise their body in a demanding, gravity-defying position.

So well done if you talked about those things.

Okay, for the final part of today's lesson, we're going to apply fitness components to a badminton player.

So a badminton player's goal is to hit the shuttlecock over the opponent's side, ensuring they can't return it within the court.

Izzy's asked us, "Which components of fitness do you think a badminton player would need to be successful?" So a badminton player may need speed, power, strength, cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, agility, reaction time, coordination, flexibility, and balance.

So they would need pretty much all of the components of fitness.

A badminton player needs speed to quickly reach the shuttlecock.

They need to move their arms fast to hit the shuttlecock, generating more power for a stronger shot.

A badminton play would need power to jump and reach the shuttlecock, smash it with greater force, making it harder for the opponent to return.

Okay, let's have a go at a check.

Hitting a smash hard so your opponent can't return it is an example of which component of fitness? Is it A, agility, B, power, C, speed, or D, flexibility? I'm hoping that you said it was B, power.

Hitting a smash hard so your opponent can't return it definitely needs lots of power, so well done if you got that right.

So a badminton player would need muscular strength to generate powerful shots, maintain body stability, and support their body during quick movements.

A badminton player needs cardiovascular endurance so their heart and lungs can continuously supply oxygen to their muscles.

This allows them to sustain energy and perform at a high level throughout the entire match, without fatigue, and to be able to keep going for the full time the match lasts.

A badminton player needs good muscular endurance because their muscles must continuously contract to move around the court and hit the shuttlecock effectively throughout the entire game without getting tired.

And agility's important for a badminton player because it allows them to quickly change direction in response to where the opponent hits the shuttlecock, enabling them to move efficiently around the court.

True or false? A badminton player requires good muscular endurance to change direction at speed.

That's false.

Can you tell me why? Yeah, a badminton player would require good agility to change direction at speed so they can move quickly to where the opponent has hit the shuttlecock.

So a badminton player needs agility to change direction at speed, not muscular endurance, so whoever wrote this question had obviously got those muddled up.

Please make sure you don't muddle up the components of fitness.

A badminton player needs really good reaction time to quickly respond to an opponent's shots, anticipate the direction of the shuttlecock, and make the necessary adjustments to return it effectively.

A badminton player needs coordination to synchronise their movements, such as timing their footwork, swings and positioning, in order to hit the shuttlecock accurately and effectively during fast-paced rallies.

Hand-eye coordination is particularly important for a badminton player so they're able to hit the shuttlecock accurately and they don't miss it.

A badminton player needs good flexibility to reach and stretch for shots, improve their range of movement, prevent injuries such as strains or sprains when they're reaching for the shuttlecock, and perform techniques like lunges or overhead smashes more effectively.

A badminton player needs balance to maintain stability during fast movements, control their body position when hitting the shuttlecock, and recover quickly after shots to be ready for the next play.

Again, if a player has hit the shuttlecock quite hard, if they have good balance, they can be up and ready to hit the next shot really quickly, whereas if they don't have good balance, they may even fall over after they've hit it or they'll be wobbly and not hit the next shot very effectively.

Okay, let's have a go at a check.

Why does a badminton player need balance? A badminton player would need balance to maintain body position, recover quickly, and avoid falling over.

So well done if you put one of those things down.

Okay, so Lucas says that badminton players don't need to have good flexibility.

For the first part of the task, I would like you to explain whether you agree or disagree with Lucas.

And for the second part of the task, I'd like you to apply the components of fitness to another sport of your choice.

You are going to have to pause the video now to give yourself time to complete these tasks.

Okay, for the first part of the task, you were asked to explain whether you agree or disagree with Lucas, who said that badminton players don't need flexibility.

Maybe you've put something along these lines: I disagree with Lucas, as a badminton player does require flexibility to stretch and reach for shots to be able to return the shuttlecock effectively so they don't lose points, perform shots like the overhead smash with a full range of movement, and prevent the risk of injuries like strains and sprains.

For the second part of the task, you were asked to apply components of fitness to another sport of your choice.

Now, you could have picked any sport here.

You might have picked one of your favourite sports.

Here is my example of climbing, and I've written down all the components of fitness that may be useful when climbing.

However, I could have gone into more detail and given specific examples of how the climber would need each one of those.

I'm hoping that you have gone into a bit more detail about why each of the components of fitness are beneficial to your sport.

So well done if you've done that.

Okay, that gives us just enough time left to complete our summary for today's lesson.

So most athletes require a number of different components of fitness in order to be successful.

It's unlikely that a sport or an athlete would only require one component of fitness.

A 100-meter sprinter would need speed, power, strength, flexibility, reaction time, and balance.

A gymnast would require good strength, power, flexibility, muscular endurance, balance, coordination, and reaction time.

And a badminton player would require good levels of all components of fitness in order to be successful.

I'm hoping that this lesson has helped you realise how you can apply components of fitness to different practical examples and maybe given you a bit more confidence to apply the components of fitness to your sport.

I'll see you again soon.