In a new statement, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) released an updated framework for physical fitness, the first substantial revision to its framework in more than 40 years. The statement was developed by a scientific roundtable of experts convened by ACSM to reexamine the components of physical fitness in light of newer evidence. It applies to all adults, including older adults and people living with disabilities and health conditions. 

The updated framework organizes physical fitness into five interconnected components: cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, body composition, neuromotor fitness, and flexibility. Muscular fitness, body composition, and neuromotor fitness are further broken down into subcomponents. Muscular fitness now encompasses strength, endurance, and power as a single category. Body composition is defined by fat mass and fat-free mass.

Neuromotor fitness includes agility, balance, and gait speed; the panel considered coordination, speed of movement, and reaction time but did not include them as distinct subcomponents, citing insufficient evidence at this time that they meet all of the panel's inclusion criteria.

Of note, the long-standing split between "health-related" and "skill-related" (or performance-related) fitness has been eliminated. The panel concluded that components once considered purely skill-based, such as balance and agility, are now well established as health markers in their own right, so the distinction no longer is scientifically justified.

Each component included in the framework had to meet four criteria: it can be changed through exercise; affects a person's ability to be physically active; contributes to health; and can be feasibly assessed in professional practice.

The panel also emphasized that physical fitness should be treated as an individualized, dynamic concept rather than a fixed checklist. Which components matter most can shift based on a person's age, health status, goals, and life stage. An older adult focused on preventing falls, for example, may prioritize muscular fitness, neuromotor fitness, and body composition, while a younger adult training for a race may prioritize cardiorespiratory fitness and lower-extremity strength.

To download the full statement explaining the new framework and its components, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, click here