What is Fitness? Power, Speed and Reaction Time
Welcome back.
Last week we looked at the the first three skill-related components of fitness:
Agility.
Balance.
Coordination.
This week we will look at the next three skill-related components of fitness.
Power
Speed.
Reaction time.
Let’s look at the these in more depth.
Power
Now you have to say it like Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear…
Power!!!!!
But what is power? The former astrophysics student in my want to give you the geeky physics definition of force x velocity but I will try to keep this fitness related.
Photo by kentoh/iStock / Getty Images
However, surprisingly enough, the physics definition is actually pretty useful. In a fitness context, power is a combination of strength and speed. How fast can you generate force?[i]
Where would this be useful?
Well in may sports such as Olympic weightlifting and football. But in everyday life?
Well an example is falling over.
If you slip and fall toward the ground you need power to help you catch yourself.
Your whole body weight is crashing toward the ground a great speed. So you need both strength (to support your weight) and speed (to decelerate your body in time) to help you from hurting yourself.[ii]
How to improve power?
Well, as power requires both speed and strength, training for power requires you to develop both speed and strength. If you are already strong, then to develop power, you should work on developing speed (see below). If you are already fast, then to develop power you should work on developing strength.
Additionally, practicing exercise which require power will also help.
These include
Plyometric box jumps.
Kettlebell swings.[iii]
Power weights training.
Use a weight that is heave enough to challenge your over a short set of reps
Is light enough to enable you to use explosive speed.
Uses about 3 minutes of rest between sets to enable your muscles to fully recover their energy supplies.
Speed
Speed is fairly intuitive. It is how fast you can do something. One of the first things to come to mind is probably running…or sprinting more specifically. [iv]
How to improve speed
Adaptations for speed are largely neurological.
Your body ‘learns’ which muscle fibres to contract and how to contract them at the right time.
Speed training can include things such as:
Overspeed / Assistance training
Including running on a slight downhill or with a tailwind.
This helps your body ‘practice’ running at greater speed.
Hill training
Builds lower body strength to increase speed.[v]
Reaction Time
Reaction time is also fairly intuitive. It is how fast you respond to an outside stimulus.[vi][vii]
Reaction time is controlled by your central nervous system (CNS) and relies heavily on mind-body connections.[viii][ix]It relies on your mind registering and interpreting something and then your body reacting to that.[x]
This should not be confused with reflexes which are involuntary movements evolved to protect us (like recoiling from a touching a hot surface).
How to improve reaction
This is best achieved through practice practice practice.
But start slow and gradually increase your speed.[xi]
Conclusion
There you go. Those are the last three skill-related components of fitness. While many of them are sport specific, being able to react quickly and powerfully in everyday living can be of great use. And the best way to improve these skills? Practice them! Have fun!
[i] https://www.verywellfit.com/skill-related-fitness-components-4155209
[ii] https://strengthmatters.com/train-powerful-need-power-survive-everyday-life/
[iii] https://www.verywellfit.com/skill-related-fitness-components-4155209
[iv] https://www.verywellfit.com/skill-related-fitness-components-4155209
[v] https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/how-to-run-faster#takeaway
[vi] https://www.verywellfit.com/skill-related-fitness-components-4155209
[vii] https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-improve-reaction-time
[viii] https://www.verywellfit.com/skill-related-fitness-components-4155209
[ix] https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-improve-reaction-time
[x] https://www.verywellfit.com/skill-related-fitness-components-4155209
[xi] https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-improve-reaction-time#for-other-sports
