Physical fitness is dependent on three primary physiological systems: the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and connective tissue systems.
- Cardiorespiratory: ensures oxygen, blood, and nutrients are delivered throughout the body. It also ensures that metabolic waste and carbon dioxide are removed.
- Heart
- pumps oxygenated blood throughout the body
- pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs
- Lungs
- gas exchange
- Take in oxygen to diffuse it into the blood
- moves carbon dioxide from the blood to be exhaled
- Blood vessels
- Arteries act as highways to transport oxygenated blood and spread it through a network to reach every cell in the body
- Veins are highways for deoxygenated blood moving from every cell in the body to return to the heart.
- Musculoskeletal: The framework for the human body. It provides structure and support, allowing for movement and strength.
- Bones
- Provide structure and protection
- work as levers to facilitate movement
- store and release vitamins and minerals
- produce red blood cells
- Skeletal Muscle
- Produces body heat
- Control movements
- Maintain posture
- Tendon (Connective tissue too)
- connects bones to muscles and transmits force generated by muscles to bones
- Ligament (Connective tissue too)
- Connect bones to bones
- Stabilize joints
- Connective tissues hold it all together. There are many more types than discussed here, but only fascia, blood, and cartilage directly relate to exercise and fitness.
- Fascia is a thin tissue that encases muscles, tendons, ligaments, and organs
- maintain posture
- provides structural support
- allows muscles to contract and stretch
- facilitates smooth movement by minimizing friction between tissues.
- Blood does the real transport of oxygen, nutrients, and wastes.
- Cartilage is a firm but flexible connective tissue that covers the ends of bones at joints, providing cushioning and protection from wear & tear.
A proper exercise program promotes well-being and synergy among these by incorporating aerobic “cardio” exercise for cardiovascular health, resistance exercise for musculoskeletal health, and mobility and balance exercises for connective tissues. Just as the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) are the foundational building blocks that, when combined in different ways, can create virtually any other color, or how music is comprised of rhythm, melodies and harmonies, so too are cardio, resistance training, and balance/mobility exercises the essential components of a complete and well-rounded fitness program.
- Cardiorespiratory health → Cardio/ Aerobic training is the continuous, cyclical/ repetitive movement of large muscle groups, causing an increase in heart rate and blood volume.
- Walking, biking, running, rowing, skiing
- Rhythm: It provides the underlying structure and pulse of your workout, dictating the tempo and flow of your overall movement. Just as a steady beat provides the foundation for a song, your cardiovascular fitness sets the pace for how long and intensely you can exercise.
- Musculoskeletal → Resistance training involves skeletal muscle producing force when contracting against resistance, resulting in improved strength and/or muscle size.
- Lifting weights, bodyweight activity (calisthenics), weight machines
- Melody. It adds distinct notes and phrases to your fitness composition, building the strength and power in individual muscles and muscle groups. These variations in effort and intensity, like different musical phrases, create the richness and depth of your physical capabilities.
- Connective tissues→ Balance and mobility exercises are any stretching of joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles that contribute to well-aligned and well-coordinated anatomy and therefore, a greater range of motion and reduced risk of injury.
- Static, dynamic, or ballistic (momentum) stretches, these can be active or passive
- Harmony. They ensure that all the elements work together smoothly and efficiently. Just as harmony creates a pleasing blend of notes and supports the melody, good balance and mobility allow your body to move with fluidity and stability, making your overall fitness more cohesive and effective.
