Physical fitness is the ability to perform daily physical activities with vigor. It is categorized into health-related fitness (focused on overall well-being and disease prevention, like cardiovascular endurance) and skill-related fitness (SRF). This article focuses on the six components of SRF, which are the physical qualities necessary to excel in specific athletic performance and motor tasks.
Distinguishing Skill Related Fitness
Skill-related fitness (SRF) enables superior performance in sports or complex physical activities. The six components—agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, and speed—are directly related to athletic capability rather than general health maintenance. For instance, high agility determines success on a football field but does not guarantee a reduced risk of heart disease.
This contrasts with health-related fitness, which includes muscular strength, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory endurance. Health-related fitness is foundational for functional living and longevity, applying to everyone, while SRF abilities are highly specific and trainable for particular athletic endeavors.
Components of Control and Precision
Agility
Agility is the ability to rapidly change the position and direction of the entire body while maintaining control. This requires a combination of speed, coordination, and deceleration capacity, as seen when a basketball player quickly cuts around an opponent. The Illinois Agility Test, which involves running and weaving through a set course, is a common measure of this ability.
Balance
Balance is the capacity to maintain equilibrium, whether the body is stationary (static) or moving (dynamic). Static balance is measured by tests like the Stork Stand, where a person stands on one leg for as long as possible. Dynamic balance is crucial for sports like gymnastics or surfing, where the body’s center of gravity constantly shifts over a changing base of support.
Coordination
Coordination involves the smooth and accurate synchronization of body parts and senses to execute a motor task. This ability is often described as hand-eye or foot-eye coordination, such as hitting a baseball or kicking a soccer ball toward a target. The Alternate Hand Wall Toss Test, where a person throws a ball against a wall and catches it repeatedly, assesses this neuro-muscular integration.
Components of Speed and Output
Power
Power is the ability to exert maximum force in a minimal amount of time, combining muscular strength and speed. Activities like jumping, throwing, and kicking are expressions of power. It is often measured by the Standing Long Jump or the Vertical Jump Test to assess lower-body explosive strength.
Reaction Time
Reaction time is the elapsed interval between a sensory stimulus and the initiation of the physical response. This measures how quickly the central nervous system processes information and signals the muscles to act. A common measure is the Ruler Drop Test, which records the distance a ruler falls before the subject can catch it after a visual cue.
Speed
Speed is the capacity to perform a movement or cover a distance in the shortest possible duration. This component can be expressed as whole-body speed, like sprinting, or as limb speed, such as the velocity of a pitcher’s arm. The 40-meter or 50-meter sprint tests are used to quantify maximal linear speed.
Measuring and Improving Skill Based Fitness
Assessment of skill-related fitness components employs highly specific, standardized tests to provide objective data on performance levels. For instance, the Hexagon Agility Test measures the time taken to jump in and out of a six-sided shape, offering a clear metric for quickness and directional change. These measurements help athletes and coaches identify specific areas that need targeted improvement.
Improving these skills requires consistent application of the principle of specificity, meaning training must closely mirror the demands of the desired skill. To enhance power, athletes often use plyometrics, which involves rapidly stretching and then shortening a muscle, such as in box jumps or lateral bounds. This type of training increases the rate of force development.
Agility and reaction time are often improved through closed-skill drills that progress to open-skill drills. Closed drills use predictable movement patterns, such as agility ladders or cones. Open drills incorporate unpredictable stimuli, like reaction balls or light cues, to train the body to respond to a random external signal. Challenging the nervous system with complex, fast-paced drills refines the motor patterns necessary for peak athletic performance.