5 Components of Fitness: A Guide with Tests & Workouts

Want the fast answer? The five health-related components of fitness are: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Below you’ll find what each one means, how to test it at home (or school), and short workouts to improve it—plus how to track real changes with BodySpec DEXA scans.

• Why this matters: Meeting weekly activity targets—think 150-300 minutes of moderate or 75-150 minutes of vigorous exercise, plus strength training 2+ days/week—is tied to better health and longevity (CDC activity guidelines; WHO exercise recommendations).

Quick-reference: the 5 components (and how to check them)

• Cardiorespiratory endurance: 12-minute Cooper run or 1.5-mile run time; or estimate VO2 max with a wearable. See our VO2 max norms guide.
• Muscular strength: Handgrip dynamometer best-of-3 per hand or estimate a 1-rep max from submax lifts. Learn protocols and norms in our grip strength guide.
• Muscular endurance: Max push-ups with strict form or a plank-for-time test (see the ACE push-up protocol).
• Flexibility: Sit-and-reach (standard or back-saver) after a light warm-up. See setup and scoring in our sit-and-reach how-to.
• Body composition: Best with a DEXA scan for precise fat, lean, bone, and visceral fat; use a tape-measure or BIA scale for rough trends—try our body-fat calculator.

Health-related vs. skill-related fitness

• Health-related = the five above. They’re most linked to day-to-day health and long-term well-being.
• Skill-related = agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, speed. Helpful for sports, but our focus here is your health foundation.

1) Cardiorespiratory endurance (aerobic fitness)

• Plain-English: How well your heart and lungs fuel you during sustained activity.
• Why it matters: Better aerobic fitness is strongly tied to lower disease risk and longer life. Dive deeper into VO2 max benchmarks and training ideas in our primer (VO2 max norms guide).

How to assess (pick one):

• 12-minute Cooper run/walk: Go as far as you can in 12 minutes. Distance correlates with VO2 max, though prediction equations can vary by population, as shown in a study on Cooper test validity.
• 1.5-mile (2.4 km) run time: Faster time = better aerobic fitness. It’s a widely used field test, outlined in this Mayo Clinic overview.
• Wearable estimate or lab test: Smartwatches estimate VO2 max; lab tests are the gold standard. Our VO2 piece explains pros/cons and norms (VO2 max norms guide).

15-minute improvement plan (2–3x/week):

• 3-minute brisk warm-up
• 4 rounds: 1 minute “fast” + 1 minute easy
• 3-minute cool-down
• Progression: add 1 interval each week or extend the “fast” to 90 seconds. On another day, add steady Zone 2 for an easy aerobic base (steady state cardio guide).

2) Muscular strength

• Plain-English: How much force you can produce in one big effort.
• Why it matters: Strength supports joints, bone, and everyday tasks. Norms from a study of 2.4 million adults show grip strength typically peaks around ages 30-39 and declines thereafter without training.

How to assess:

• Handgrip dynamometer: 3 maximal squeezes per hand; compare to age/sex norms and track trends over time (BodySpec grip guide).
• Estimated 1-rep max (1RM): Use a submax set (e.g., 5–10 reps) to estimate 1RM on a squat, bench, or deadlift—use a spotter and solid form.

15-minute improvement plan (2–3x/week):

• Perform the following circuit for 3 rounds, resting 60–90 seconds between each round:
  • Goblet squat × 10
  • Push-up or incline push-up × 8–12
  • Dumbbell row × 10/side
  • Farmer carry for 30–40 seconds
• Pick loads that leave 1–2 reps in reserve. Add a little weight or a rep each week.

3) Muscular endurance

• Plain-English: How long your muscles can keep going (or hold a position) without giving up.
• Why it matters: It powers posture, chores, and sports without constant breaks.

How to assess:

• Push-up test to technical failure: Count strict reps; standardized protocols help you compare apples to apples (see the ACE push-up protocol PDF).
• Plank hold for time: Keep a neutral spine; stop when form breaks.

15-minute improvement plan (2–3x/week):

• Complete 5 rounds of the following 3-minute block (rest 60 seconds between rounds if needed):
  • Minute 1: Push-ups × 8–15
  • Minute 2: Split squats × 8–12/leg
  • Minute 3: Forearm plank for 30–45 seconds
• Add 1–2 reps or 5 seconds weekly while keeping clean form.

4) Flexibility

• Plain-English: Your comfortable range of motion at each joint.
• Why it matters: Enough flexibility makes daily movement feel better. The sit-and-reach is a common school/clinic screen for hamstring flexibility—useful for hamstrings, not your lower back, according to a meta-analysis of the sit-and-reach test.

How to assess:

• Sit-and-reach (standard or back-saver). Warm up lightly, take 3 tries, record the best score (BodySpec sit-and-reach guide).

15-minute improvement plan (3–5x/week):

• 3–5 minutes easy cardio, then:
  • Dynamic leg swings × 10/side
  • Hip-flexor stretch 2 × 20–30 seconds/side
  • Hamstring strap stretch 2 × 20–30 seconds/side
  • Cat-camel × 8–10
  • Calf wall stretch 2 × 20–30 seconds/side
• Holding static stretches for 10–30 seconds, repeated 2–4 times per muscle, is an effective protocol for most adults. Consistency beats intensity.

5) Body composition

• Plain-English: What your body is made of—fat mass, lean mass (muscle and organs), and bone.
• Why it matters: Extra body fat—especially around your belly—raises health risk, while building/keeping lean mass supports strength, mobility, and metabolism.

How to assess:

• DEXA scan (gold standard): Measures total and regional fat, visceral fat, lean mass, and bone density with high precision. Book anytime (BodySpec booking).
• Field estimates: Tape-measure methods (like the Navy method), calipers, and home BIA scales are useful for rough trends but often underestimate body fat compared with DEXA—especially in athletes, as shown in this BIA vs. DEXA comparison. To run a tape-measure estimate easily, try our body fat estimator, then confirm with DEXA when you can.

Improve by combining:

• Strength + cardio: Use the strength and endurance plans above 2–3 days/week each and add 2–3 cardio sessions to raise weekly energy burn.
• Protein + energy balance: Aim for enough protein and a sustainable calorie balance to support lean tissue while reducing excess fat.
• Move more daily: Walks after meals, choosing the stairs, and “movement snacks” add up.
• Track objectively: Re-measure with DEXA every 8–12 weeks and keep simple training/steps/nutrition logs.

How BodySpec DEXA helps you see your real trends

For tracking progress, measurement reliability matters more than a single data point. A gold-standard method like DEXA can detect small, meaningful changes when scans are performed under similar conditions (time of day, hydration, recent exercise). High precision helps you know whether a change is real, which makes your training and nutrition decisions more confident. For details on how results are calibrated and validated, see our BodySpec DEXA accuracy explainer (accuracy and precision guide).

Sample weekly plan that covers all 5

This is one simple way to mix the routines; adjust based on your schedule and goals.

• 2 days: Muscular Strength plan
• 1 day: Muscular Endurance plan
• 2 days: Cardio focus (intervals + easy Zone 2—learn more in our steady state cardio guide)
• 3–5 short Flexibility sessions (10–15 minutes)
• Daily movement: rack up steps and sprinkle movement snacks
• Retest 1–2 measures every 4–8 weeks (retesting your progress every few weeks is a common recommendation: Mayo Clinic recheck guide).

FAQs

What are the 5 components of fitness?

• Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. This framework is widely used by exercise professionals and public health groups.

Which component is “most important”?

• For health, aerobic fitness and body composition are significant factors in long-term health risk, but training all five works best. Start by meeting weekly cardio plus 2+ days of strength work.

How often should I test?

• Every 4–8 weeks is reasonable. Repeat the same protocol under similar conditions to keep comparisons fair.

Is flexibility the same as mobility?

• Not quite. Flexibility is passive range; mobility adds control and strength through that range. Train both by pairing stretches with strength moves through full range.

Best way to measure body fat at home?

• Tape-measure or calipers can give rough estimates; BIA scales are convenient but can be off by several points vs. DEXA in many cases (as shown in this BIA vs. DEXA comparison). Use our body fat estimator for trends and get DEXA for precise tracking.

Next steps

• Pick one test per component this week and log your baselines.
• Choose one 15-minute plan above and schedule it 2–3 times.
• Pair your training with precise body-composition tracking via DEXA and benchmark your aerobic fitness using VO2 max zones (VO2 max norms guide).