The four basic physical abilities (BPA) that we should develop are strength,

resistance, speed and flexibility. All are very important and are involved in games
and sports. Each one in a different way, depending on the activity.

Strength is the ability to overcome resistance and can be developed with fighting
games, thrusts, pushing, pulling objects, climbing, throwing balls, etc.

Speed is the physical capacity that allows us to perform movements and

displacements in the shortest time possible.

Flexibility is the body’s ability to exercise for a long time. We can develop this with
games, sports or exercising for a long time but at a gentle pace.

Flexibility is the ability to make broad gestures. We develop it with specific

exercises.

Speed and agility usually go hand in hand. For the speed the entire range of
movement when running is important. The basic leg movement recovery is very
important to develop speed as you learn the correct leg stroke.

Also the movement of the arms (‘pump’) needs to be proportional to the legs. The
arms should not over shoot the leg movement. Also it is important not to keep
breath during maximum speed. Also it is not a good idea to breath-in during quick
step movement but to breath-out. The relaxation that is created during that
breathing-out movement will help us to increase speed.

The four key elements of the warm up are general warm up, static stretching,
sport specific warm up and dynamic stretching. These components are important
for an effective and safe warm up, and executing them in the correct order is
critical.

The general warm-up consist of a light physical activity, like walking, jogging, easy
swimming, stationary bike, skipping or easy aerobics.

Static stretching is short-hold static stretching of 3-5 seconds is extremely

beneficial for overall flexibility. During this part of the warm up, static stretching
should include all the major muscle groups and this entire part should last for about
five to ten minutes.

The third part of the warm up is to specifically prepare the body for the demands of
the particular sport. During this part of the warm up more vigorous activity should
be employed. Activities should reflect the type of movements and action which will
be required during the sporting event.

Finally a correct warm up should finish with a series of dynamic stretches. However,
this form of stretching carries with it an increased risk of injury if used incorrectly.
Dynamic stretching involves a controlled, soft bounce or swinging motion to move a
particular body part to the limit of its range of movement.

As we increase our body’s fitness levels we also avoid health problems like
diabetes and high blood pressure from developing. Exercise is also good for our
joints and makes our body stronger overall.