This page is a core part of the Physical Fitness and Health Programme within the Grade 11 Life Orientation Term 1 curriculum. Building on the previous lesson about assessing your physical fitness and health, these notes focus on the specific components that make up a healthy body and the steps needed to improve them safely.
Safety Measures in Physical Fitness Activities
In Life Orientation Grade 11, we define physical fitness as more than just being “strong.” It is the base for your overall well-being. True physical fitness is the ability to perform activities vigorously while still having enough energy left over to handle your other daily tasks and life goals.
1. The Four Components of Physical Fitness
To be considered physically fit according to the CAPS curriculum, you must achieve a balance across these health-related components:
- Cardiorespiratory Endurance: The ability of your heart and lungs to perform exercises using large muscle groups over an extended amount of time at different intensity levels.
- Muscular Strength and Endurance: The ability of your muscles to perform the maximum amount of work with the least effort over a long period.
- Flexibility: The ability of your joints and muscles to perform a full range of movements without being damaged or strained.
- Body Composition: The healthy proportions of fat, muscle, and bone in your body.
2. Steps to a Successful Fitness Programme
In Term 1, you are expected to follow a structured approach to your physical education. Use these six steps to guide your progress:
- Step 1: Assess your fitness. Before you start, you must know your current level.
- Step 2: Look at standards. Compare your results against the official health-related fitness standards for Grade 11.
- Step 3: Set goals. Use your goal-setting skills to decide exactly what you want to improve (e.g., “Increase my flexibility”).
- Step 4: Participate. Actively take part in your school’s physical fitness programme throughout the term.
- Step 5: Reassess. At the end of the term, test yourself again to see if you have met your goals.
- Step 6: Commit. Turn your fitness activities into a regular, long-term habit.
3. Important Safety Definitions
To avoid injury and practice safety measures, you must understand these three key terms:
- Intensity: How hard you exercise. This is especially important when trying to improve cardiorespiratory endurance.
- Duration: The actual length of time you are active in a single session.
- Vigorous: Being very active and energetic during your workout.
4. Why Fitness Matters for Grade 11s
Maintaining a healthy body is a shared responsibility. When you are fit, your brain functions better, you have more focus for your studies, and you avoid detrimental health issues. Choosing to be active is one of the most important personal choices you can make this year.
Activity: Fitness Components Check
- Define: In your own words, explain the difference between muscular strength and cardiorespiratory endurance.
- Application: Which component of fitness is most important if you want to run a long-distance race?
- Reflect: Look at Step 3 (Set goals). Write down one fitness goal you would like to achieve by the end of Term 1.
Next Lesson: Learn the practical tests for your heart and lungs in How to Measure Your Cardiorespiratory Endurance.
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