National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Group Fitness Instructor Practice Exam

Which type of fitness focuses on enhancing muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility?

1. Aerobic fitness

2. Strength training

3. Functional fitness

4. Core stability

The correct answer is: Functional fitness

Functional fitness is designed to improve overall physical performance by enhancing muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility in a way that is applicable to real-life activities. This approach emphasizes movements that individuals commonly perform in daily life, making it particularly effective in promoting a well-rounded physical capacity. By focusing on multi-joint movements and engaging various muscle groups simultaneously, functional fitness enhances the ability to perform everyday tasks more effectively and safely. In contrast, while strength training specifically targets the development of muscular strength, and may involve exercises that build endurance, it does not encompass flexibility to the same extent. Core stability focuses primarily on strengthening the muscles of the core, which is important but not as comprehensive as functional fitness. Aerobic fitness is primarily concerned with cardiovascular endurance rather than the combined elements of strength, endurance, and flexibility. Therefore, functional fitness is the most holistic approach that includes the enhancement of all these aspects for improved overall physical performance.