What are the 10 general skills?

The 10 General Skills of Fitness

When we talk about being fit, it's not just about how fast you can run or how much weight you can lift. True fitness is a blend of multiple physical skills working in harmony. There are 10 general skills that define overall physical competence: cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy, and speed.

Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance refers to your body’s ability to gather, process, and deliver oxygen during sustained effort. Stamina builds on that, focusing on the body’s capacity to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy over time. Then comes strength—the ability to exert force—and its explosive cousin, power. Without flexibility, even the strongest athlete can be limited, so that’s a cornerstone too.

Then there are the skills that refine movement: coordination is the ability to combine individual movements into a single, effective action. Agility lets you change direction quickly, while balance keeps you in control whether you're standing on one foot or navigating uneven terrain. Accuracy is about precision—hitting the target, every time. And finally, speed, which measures how fast you can move your body or an object from point A to B.

True fitness isn’t just excelling in one or two of these skills—it’s about developing them all. A well-rounded training regimen should challenge each of these 10 areas. Why? Because your overall fitness is only as strong as your weakest skill. Mastering them isn’t just about looking good or performing well in a workout—it’s about building a body that’s capable, resilient, and ready for anything life throws your way.