What are the components of fitness and why do different sports need different ones?
The definitions of health, fitness, exercise and performance, the eleven components of fitness, and their relative importance in different sports.
A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE PE on the components of fitness: the definitions of health, fitness, exercise and performance, the eleven components of fitness, and why their relative importance varies between sports.
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What this dot point is asking
Edexcel wants you to define health, fitness, exercise and performance, name the eleven components of fitness, and explain why their relative importance differs between sports.
Defining health, fitness, exercise and performance
You can be fit but not healthy (a footballer with the flu) or healthy but not fit (a well person who never trains), which is why the exam asks you to explain the difference with an example.
The eleven components of fitness
Why the right components differ by sport
The relative importance of each component depends on the activity. A 100 m sprinter prioritises speed, power and reaction time (off the blocks); a marathon runner prioritises cardiovascular fitness; a gymnast prioritises flexibility, balance and coordination; a rugby forward prioritises strength and power. Most games players need a blend, especially agility and cardiovascular fitness to change direction repeatedly across a whole match.
Health-related and skill-related components
It helps to split the eleven into two groups. The health-related components benefit everyone's general health and fitness: cardiovascular fitness, strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition. The skill-related components matter more for sporting performance and technique: agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time and speed. A non-athlete improving their health focuses on the health-related group; a competitor sharpening performance trains the skill-related ones that their sport demands.
Some components are closely linked. Power combines strength and speed, so it is the product of force and the speed of movement. Agility draws on speed, balance and coordination together. Knowing how components overlap helps you justify why a sport needs a particular blend, for example why a rugby player needs both the strength and the speed that combine into the power for an explosive tackle.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Edexcel 20183 marksDefine health and fitness, and explain the difference between them.Show worked answer →
A Component 1 short-answer question. One mark for each definition and one for the difference.
Award marks for: health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of illness; fitness is the ability to meet the demands of the environment (or to carry out daily activities without undue fatigue). The difference is that you can be fit but not healthy (an injured but well-trained athlete) or healthy but not fit (a well person who does no exercise).
The difference mark needs an example showing the two are not the same.
Edexcel 20224 marksA games player and a gymnast rely on different components of fitness. Identify two components important to each, and justify your choices using the demands of the activity.Show worked answer →
A Component 1 application question, marks for relevant components justified by the sport.
Award marks for: a games player (such as a netballer) needs agility (to dodge and change direction) and cardiovascular fitness (to last a full match); a gymnast needs flexibility (for a wide range of movement in a split or bridge) and balance (to hold a handstand steady). Each component must be tied to a specific demand of the activity.
The justification, not just naming the component, earns the marks.
Related dot points
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A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE PE on training methods: continuous, Fartlek, circuit, interval, plyometric and weight training plus fitness classes, the component of fitness each develops, and their advantages and disadvantages.
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Sources & how we know this
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Physical Education (1PE0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2016)