Through the scope of the five components of health and fitness, the Be Active Van staff will educate participants and help them to identify their strengths and weaknesses.  A series of fitness tests will be available to let individuals know where they rank in terms of cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.  Participants will walk away with information that they can use on their own or discuss with their doctors, en route to a healthier, more active lifestyle.

Though many factors are contributing to the national obesity epidemic, physical inactivity has been identified as one of the main factors associated with diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.  In 2007, nearly 25% of North Carolina’s adults reported that they did not receive ANY physical activity during the day.  This is 3% above the national average.  An additional 33% are getting only some physical activity during the day.  This appears to be a downward trend from youth, as only 50% of North Carolina’s children were receiving the recommended amount of 60 minutes of daily physical activity.  

In order for North Carolinians to have a better understanding of what they need to be doing to stay healthy and fit, they must begin to understand the five components of health, which includes cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition. 

This component is defined as the heart’s ability to generate energy by delivering blood and oxygen to the body.  The heart is strengthened by prolonged aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming and many others that keep the heart beating faster for 10 or more minutes.

This component is defined as a muscle’s ability to complete an activity one time, for example, lifting a heavy box onto a table.  Muscle strength is improved by completing a few repetitive, lower weight movements that lengthen and shorten muscles.  These exercises are mainly in the form of traditional resistance training with weights and resistance bands.

This component is defined as a muscle’s ability to complete a task over and over again.  Cardiovascular fitness is an example of muscular endurance as it relates to the heart’s ability to beat strongly during physical activity.  Muscular endurance is improved by completing activities that strain the muscles less than strength activities, but are completed with a greater number of repetitive motions.  Some examples of muscular endurance exercises include sit-ups, pull-ups and crunches.  

This component is defined as a joint’s ability to move through a range of motion.  Different joints have different ranges of motion, but all have optimal ranges.  Exercises that improve flexibility include yoga, Pilates and stretching.  Stretching can be done throughout the day but is most successful when completed after the muscles are warm, such as at the end of a brisk walk.  

This component is defined as the ratio between lean body mass and fat mass.  Lean body mass is made up of muscle, bone, cartilage and other internal organs.  Fat mass is all of the fat tissue throughout the body.  It is important to remember that some fat is needed in the body to store vitamins and support the nervous system.  However, too much fat mass can impede the body’s other four components of health. This component is heavily influenced by the other four components.  Body Composition is determined by physical activity levels and nutrition content.  It is essential to find a balance between the two. 

Through the Be Active Van,  over half a million people have been educated about the importance of daily physical activity.